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Which features of leaves can help identify a Malvales plant?
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Malvales
A fony baobab tree (Adansonia rubrostipa), estimated to be more than 1,000 years old, in Madagascar.
To identify a plant belonging to the order Malvales, you can look for specific characteristics of the leaves. Key features include:
- Palmate venation: The veins of the leaf typically radiate outward from a single point at the base of the leaf blade.1
- Swollen petiole apex: The point where the leaf stalk (petiole) meets the blade is often noticeably thickened or swollen.1
- Stipules: These small, leaf-like appendages are commonly found at the base of the leaf stalks.1
Additionally, while not a feature of the leaf blade itself, the presence of mucilage cells is common throughout the plant, and the bark is often fibrous or stringy due to bands of fibers in the phloem.1