Lobe (palmate, pinnate)

 

A lobe sticks out from something.  You can find a lobe on a leaf, a flower, or a fern.

 

Multiple lobes often create indents between them.

 

Each pointed area on this leaf is a lobe.  These lobes are palmate, making a shape like the fingers of your hand.  Each lobe starts from the base of the leaf.

 

Big-Leaf Maple – drawing © John Muir Laws

 

Each rounded area on this leaf is a lobe.  These lobes are pinnate, starting from different points along a central vein.

Valley Oak – drawing © John Muir Laws

 

How small or big can a leaf lobe get?

 

Leaf edge serrations and teeth are too small to be considered lobes.

 

If an indentation goes all the way to the central vein, then you’ve got a compound leaf rather than a lobe.

 

Other kinds of lobes

 

Fern segments can have lobes:

Western Sword Fern – drawing Linda Bae Miller

 

Flowers can have lobes:

Purple Mouse Ears – photo © Neal Kramer

 

 

Want more?  See Wikipedia.

 

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