What are stipules on the leaves of mallow-family plants?

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Baobab — Malvales A fony baobab tree (*Adansonia rubrostipa*), estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, in Madagascar.

In the context of the plant order Malvales, stipules are small, often leaflike appendages found at the base of the petiole. While many members of the order are characterized by the presence of these structures, they are specifically noted as being non-sheathing in the family Malvaceae.1234

It is important to note that while stipules are common in Malvales, not all plants within the order possess them in the same way. For instance, in the family Muntingiaceae, the structures that appear to be stipules are actually the first leaves of the axillary shoot. Generally, in angiosperms, stipules are paired and located on each side of the leaf base, and they may take the form of scales, spines, or glands.42