Image: Wikimedia Commons

leaf

Main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants, usually consisting of a flat green blade attached to the stem directly or by a stalk

Entityplant structureQ33971

Also known as leaves · tree leaf · plant leaves

Instance of: plant structure
Subclass of: plant organ
Part of: bulb
, foliage
, tree

Overview

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · Read full article · Text CC BY-SA 4.0

A leaf is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, flower, and fruit collectively form the shoot system. In most leaves, the primary photosynthetic tissue is the palisade mesophyll and is located on the upper side of the blade or lamina of the leaf, but in some species, including the mature foliage of Eucalyptus, palisade mesophyll is present on both sides and the leaves are said to be isobilateral. The leaf is an integral part of the stem system, and most leaves are flattened and have distinct upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) surfaces that differ in color, hairiness, the number of stomata, the amount and structure of epicuticular wax, and other features. Leaves are mostly green in color due to the presence of a compound called chlorophyll, which is essential for photosynthesis as it absorbs light energy from the Sun. A leaf with lighter-colored or white patches or edges is called a variegated leaf.

Overview

All data

72 statements · 21% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations

Members / parts: leaf blade
petiole excluding: sessile leaf
plant cuticle
leaf sheath
Has use: fodder
mulch
Unicode character: 🍃 statement is subject of: 🍃
🍂 statement is subject of: 🍂
Different from: Leaf
foliage
folio applies to name of subject: лист · criterion used: singular
Name: nate language: Abinomn
1
Sources
1.Stated in Newguineaworldsites.google.com/site/newguineaworld/families/abinomn
View statement on Wikidata ↗
Disjoint union of: list of values as qualifiers list item: simple leaf, compound leaf

On other databases

48 identifiers linking leaf across the web's reference databases

Data quality

statements

21%

externally sourced

Source last edited September 25, 2026. AIDB refreshes this page daily.

Suggest a fact or correction

Links

Use this data

curl https://aidb.si/api/v1/entities/Q33971

API docs, limits & keys

Cite this page

AIDB. (2026). leaf (Q33971). Retrieved from https://aidb.si/e/leaf-Q33971