pinnately compound leaf
botany
Quick Summary
Leaf morphology
Common leaf morphologies.
A pinnately compound leaf is a type of leaf where the blade is divided into multiple leaflets arranged along a central axis, called the rachis. This arrangement resembles a feather, with leaflets on either side of the rachis. In contrast, a simple leaf has a single, undivided blade. Some pinnately compound leaves can be further divided, creating bipinnately compound leaves. This complex structure is a modification of the basic leaf form found in angiosperms.1
Summary created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
