Botany
Leaf Shapes and Veins
← All Exhibits
Pressed leaves, lit from behind so their veins show clearly.
Some leaves are one simple blade; others are compound, split into many leaflets. Dicot leaves usually have a branching net of veins, while grasses and other monocots have straight, parallel ones. Botanists use these clues to identify plants.
Find a compound leaf, a leaf with a toothed edge, and one with parallel veins.