leaf gap

plant anatomy

Also known as: lacuna

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

Quick Summary

A leaf gap is a space in the vascular tissue of a plant stem that surrounds a leaf trace. A leaf trace is a vascular bundle that connects the stem's vascular system to the leaf. This gap is a feature of plant anatomy. The term "foliar gap" is synonymous with "leaf gap".12

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angiosperm
Stems
…toward the leaf is a leaf gap, called a lacuna. The number of lacunae varies among angiosperm groups and remains a characteristic for classifying the various species.
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…toward the leaf is a leaf gap, called a lacuna. The number of lacunae varies among angiosperm groups and remains a characteristic for classifying the various species.
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fern
Vascular tissues
…with parenchyma cells known as leaf gaps. There are, however, numerous “siphonostelic” ferns, in which the gaps do not overlap and a given section shows only one gap, and some “protostelic” ferns, in which no gaps at all are formed. Complex stelar patterns are known in some species, as in…
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…with parenchyma cells known as leaf gaps. There are, however, numerous “siphonostelic” ferns, in which the gaps do not overlap and a given section shows only one gap, and some “protostelic” ferns, in which no gaps at all are formed. Complex stelar patterns are known in some species, as in…
Read More