Leaf Classification
Name _____________
By E.S. La Rosa
Background Information:
Leaf Anatomy:
Leaf Margins:
Smooth
Serrated: edges are teethlike
Lobed: edges are cut out
Venation Patterns:
Parallel: do not cross or branch
Palmate: spread from base of
leaf, branched
Pinnate: main vein with veins
off of it
www.middleschoolscience.com 2003
pictures from http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/CASDEPT/Hort/LeafID/Default.html
Objectives:
•
•
•
•
To learn how to distinguish between simple and compound leaves
To compare leaf margins: smooth, serrated, lobed
To identify venation patterns: parallel, palmate, pinnate
To graph class results.
Procedure:
1. You and your partner will be given a bag of assorted leaves.
2. Using the guide, look at each leaf and decide if it is simple or compound. Place a
mark in Table 1.
3. Decide if the leaf margin is smooth, serrated, or pinnate. Place a mark in Table 1.
4. Decide if the venation pattern is parallel, palmate, pinnate. Place a mark in Table
1.
5. Draw a leaf of your choice in Figure 1. Correctly label the type, margin, and
venation.
6. When you are done with your leaves, place your numbers on the board.
7. Figure 2: Create the bar graph. X-axis = vocabulary, y-axis is the number of
leaves.
Data:
Table 1: Leaf types
Simple
Smooth
Parallel
Compund
Serrated
Palmate
Lobed
Pinnate
Figure 1: Draw a leaf of your choice. Correctly label the type, margin, and venation.
www.middleschoolscience.com 2003
pictures from http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/CASDEPT/Hort/LeafID/Default.html
Figure 2: Bar Graph of Leaf types: (y-axis is the number of leaves)
Simple
Compound
Smooth
Serrated
Lobed
Parallel
Palmate
LEAF TYPES
www.middleschoolscience.com 2003
pictures from http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/CASDEPT/Hort/LeafID/Default.html
Pinnate
Analysis:
1.
Look at your graph to answer the following questions:
a. Were there more simple or compound leaves in our class? __________
b. What leaf margin was the most common? _______________________
c. What venation pattern was the most common? ___________________
2.
What would a compound, smooth, pinnate leaf look like? Draw it.
Conclusion: 2-3 complete sentences on what you learned today
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
www.middleschoolscience.com 2003
pictures from http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/CASDEPT/Hort/LeafID/Default.html