Compound Leaf
/KOM-pound LEEF/🍃 Leaf Shapes● Basic
Also known as: divided leaf
A leaf whose blade is divided into two or more distinct leaflets attached to a central stalk (rachis). Compound leaves can be pinnately compound (leaflets arranged along both sides of the rachis, like ash), palmately compound (leaflets radiating from a single point, like horse chestnut), or further subdivided into bipinnate or tripinnate forms. Each leaflet may resemble a simple leaf but arises from the rachis rather than a branch.
Etymology
Latin componere (to put together) + Old English lēaf
Example
“Wisteria has pinnately compound leaves with 9–15 individual leaflets arranged along each rachis.”