There are also many other descriptive terms, often with specialized usage and confined to specific taxonomic groups.[68] The conspicuousness of veins depends on a number of features. These include the width of the veins, their prominence in relation to the lamina surface and the degree of opacity of the surface, which may hide finer veins. In this regard, veins are called obscure and the order of veins that are obscured and whether upper, lower or both surfaces, further specified.[69][61]
Terms that describe vein prominence include bullate, channelled, flat, guttered, impressed, prominent and recessed (Fig.6.1 Hawthorne & Lawrence 2013).[66][70] Veins may show different types of prominence in different areas of the leaf. For instance Pimenta racemosa has a channeled midrib on the upper surface, but this is prominent on the lower surface.[66]
Describing vein prominence:
Bullate
Surface of leaf raised in a series of domes between the veins on the upper surface, and therefore also with marked depressions. e.g. Rytigynia pauciflora,[71]Vitis vinifera
Channelled (canalicululate)
Veins sunken below the surface, resulting in a rounded channel. Sometimes confused with "guttered" because the channels may function as gutters for rain to run off and allow drying, as in many Melastomataceae.[72] e.g. (see) Pimenta racemosa (Myrtaceae),[73]Clidemia hirta (Melastomataceae).
Guttered
Veins partly prominent, the crest above the leaf lamina surface, but with channels running along each side, like gutters
Impressed
Vein forming raised line or ridge lying below the plane of the surface that bears it, as if pressed into it, and are often exposed on the lower surface. Tissue near the veins often appears to pucker, giving them a sunken or embossed appearance
Obscure
Veins not visible, or not at all clear; if unspecified, then not visible with the naked eye. e.g. Berberis gagnepainii. In this Berberis, the veins are only obscure on the undersurface.[74]
More than one main vein (nerve) at the base. Lateral secondary veins branching from a point above the base of the leaf. Usually expressed as a suffix, as in 3-plinerved or triplinerved leaf. In a 3-plinerved (triplinerved) leaf three main veins branch above the base of the lamina (two secondary veins and the main vein) and run essentially parallel subsequently, as in Ceanothus and in Celtis. Similarly, a quintuplinerve (five-veined) leaf has four secondary veins and a main vein. A pattern with 3–7 veins is especially conspicuous in Melastomataceae. The term has also been used in Vaccinieae. The term has been used as synonymous with acrodromous, palmate-acrodromous or suprabasal acrodromous, and is thought to be too broadly defined.[76][76]
Scalariform
Veins arranged like the rungs of a ladder, particularly higher order veins
Submarginal
Veins running close to leaf margin
Trinerved
2 major basal nerves besides the midrib
Diagrams of venation patterns
Image
Term
Description
Arcuate
Secondary arching toward the apex
Dichotomous
Veins splitting in two
Longitudinal
All veins aligned mostly with the midvein
Parallel
All veins parallel and not intersecting
Pinnate
Secondary veins borne from midrib
Reticulate
All veins branching repeatedly, net veined
Rotate
Veins coming from the center of the leaf and radiating toward the edges
Transverse
Tertiary veins running perpendicular to axis of main vein, connecting secondary veins
Size
The terms megaphyll, macrophyll, mesophyll, notophyll, microphyll, nanophyll and leptophyll are used to describe leaf sizes (in descending order), in a classification devised in 1934 by Christen C. Raunkiær and since modified by others.[77][78]
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