Leaf Identification





Ayah Altalhouni - September 16 - 6 min read





This blog post will be a little bit different, because it’s going to be educational! Just like us humans, plants come in all shapes, sizes, and colours. Did you ever take a walk outside or through the woods, and noticed all the different species of plants?


The definition of species is “a set of animals or plants, members of which have similar characteristics to each other and which can breed with each other.” (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/species ). So in simpler terms, all the kinds of plants.


When I was younger, in grade 6 we went on various nature walks to observe all the different species of plants. We walked through the woods, and we walked down the river valley. It was a magical experience, and I felt like an explorer of some sort while walking through the trails, looking for different things on our scavenger hunts. It was amazing, and the few rare moments I enjoyed being within nature. I learned a lot about different plants and animals in our city. I encourage you all to go outside and explore your local nature. See what beauty is just right outside your door!


In this blog, I will be discussing various things. We will begin by learning about leaves and all the different ways we can classify them. Then, we are going to move on to discussing the tree as a whole, and it’s three sections. Finally, I will discuss a topic you won’t stop hearing for a while, and that is photosynthesis. It’s a long word, dear learner, but it’s not intimidating once you learn the concept.


Leaf Shapes & Arrangements


A leaf can be arranged in 2 main ways: simple, and compound. A simple leaf is a singular shaped leaf that isn’t divided into smaller leaves. A compound leaf on the other hand is divided into smaller leaves.


A leaf can also be classified by shape. There are 5 main shapes that you can classify leaves by.


1. Hand Shaped

2. Spear Shaped

3. Heart Shaped

4. Round Shaped

5. Needle Shaped (Scale-like)


How do we remember all those shapes…well that’s easy! The name matches exactly what the lead looks like. Needle shaped leaves are those leaves that are like needles. Poky and thin. Heart shaped leaves look like a heart, etc.


Trees and Branching Patterns


What are branching patterns when it comes to trees? Simply it’s the way the branches stick out from the tree trunk. Is it perfect and equal on both sides, or do the branches seem to go in all directions?


Well there are several types of branching patterns:


1. Alternate branching: Branches don’t grow directly opposite of each other in perfect uniform. Instead they grow in alternating ways. A branch will grow here on the left side, but go up a few inches and there will be one growing from the right.


2. Opposite branching: Think of this type as the opposite of alternate, because instead of one here and then another up here, the branches go in pairs on both ends.


3. Whorled branching: With this pattern, various branches grow out from the stem from the same spot.


4. Spiral branching: The way the branches and leaves form with this type is by forming a spiral around the stem.


Now that we discussed the leaf, then moved on to the branch, we must observe the tree as a whole. Let’s learn together the general tree anatomy!


A tree is divided into three sections:


1. Crown

2. Trunk

3. Roots


We all know what a tree should typically look like, right? Well the green part of the tree with all the leaves, and branches is the crown, because it sits at the top of the tree and arguably the most beautiful part! Just like the crown on a queen!


The trunk is the long or short brown part that connects all the green to the floor. You might’ve carved your initials unto the trunk for fun 😉


Now underground, you’ll find what we call are the roots. The roots are the most important part for the tree, because they keep the nutrients flowing all throughout the tree. They look like our blood vessels, but instead of pumping blood throughout the body, they are pumping what the tree needs to live.


Photosynthesis


So what does this long word mean? Photo is Greek for light, and synthesis means “to put together” in Greek as well. And remember, we are talking about leaves and plants. So can you guess what this concept is? Photosynthesis is the chemical process where plants convert carbon dioxide combined with water and make it into oxygen and sugar when exposed to light.


Now, if you don’t know, carbon dioxide is what we as humans and animals exhale, but it’s what plants breathe. And us humans and animals breathe what we call oxygen, but plants “exhale” oxygen. Not to make it weird, but in a way we breathe each other’s air. But I shouldn’t make it out to be weird, because it’s the way it’s always been, it’s nature! Now, the sugar is the food for the plant, and it isn’t the typical white sugar we add to our drinks or sweets. It’s glucose, which is a type of sugar.


Now the water is absorbed through the roots of the plants, and the carbon dioxide through the leaves in teeny tiny holes called the stomata where chloroplasts are located. Chloroplasts are the green pigment in plants that make it green! In this area, photosynthesis occurs. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is combined with water, which then results in Oxygen (O₂) for us, and Glucose for the plant. Looking at the diagram below you will see this whole process. In the leaves, you will see all these little grains that are supposed to represent the holes that make up the stomata. They are miniscule in real life, and we can’t see them with the naked eye, and that is where microscopes come in.


That concludes this blog, and learning about the various ways trees and leaves are formed, and the process of Photosynthesis. I hope you learned something new today, and keep following for future educational content 😊