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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