Leaf Shapes

Plants have leaves in many different shapes - the thicker the book you refer to, the more leaf shapes they seem to find, but here are some of the basic ones.

Sometimes the Latin name will indicate the leaf shape, so I've put the Latin specific epithet in as well. This will help you identify a plant (if it has that epithet in its name, that's what the leaf will look like), and, on the other hand, if it has that shape leaf, it's possible its Latin name will contain that descriptive adjective.

example of ensiform or sword leaf shape

Sword-shaped
(ensiformis)
Long, thin,
pointed

example of lanceolate or lance leaf shape

Lance-shaped
(lanceolata)
Long, wider
in the middle

example of ovate or oval leaf shape

Ovate
(ovata)
Oval, with a
tapering point

example of elliptic leaf shape

Elliptic
(elliptica)
Oval, with a
short point

example of round leaf shape

Round
(rotundifolia)

Circular

example of cordate or heart-shaped leaf

Cordate
(cordata)

Heart-shaped

example of oblanceolate leaf shape

Oblanceolate
(oblanceolata)
Top wider than
bottom

example of spathulate or spoon-shaped leaf

Spathulate
(spathulata)
Spoon-
shaped

example of rhomboid or diamond leaf shape

Rhomboid
(rhomboidalis)
Diamond-
shaped

example of lobed leaf shape

Lobed
(lobata)
With several
points

example of saggitate or spear leaf shape

Spear-shaped
(hastata)
Pointed,
with barbs

example of pinnatisect leaf shape

Pinnatisect
(pinnatifida)
Cut, but not to
the midrib

example of pinnate leaf shape

Pinnate
(pinnata)
2 rows of
leaflets

example of bipinnate leaf shape
Bipinnate
(bipinnata)
Each leaflet
also pinnate

example of tripinnate leaf shape

Tripinnate
(tripinnata)
Each leaflet
divided into 3

example of trifoilate or trefoil leaf shape

Trifoliate
(trifoliata)
Divided into
3 leaflets

example of palmate leaf shape

Palmate
(palmata)
Divided into
many lobes

example of digitate or hand leaf shape

Digitate
(digitata)
Divided into
5 lobes

example of opposite leaves

Opposite
(oppositifolia)
Leaves opposite
one another

example of alternate leaves

Alternate
(alternifolia)
Arranged
alternately

example of eperfoliate leaf

Perfoliate
(perfoliata)
Stem through
the leaves

example of peltate leaf

Peltate
(peltata)
Rounded,
stem underneath

example of whorled leaves

Whorled

In circles
round the stem

example of leaf rosette

Rosette

Leaves in
close rings

Often a single plant will have leaves of several different shapes, so any description has to be taken as an indication of what you can expect to find on a particular plant, rather than a description of what they will look like. I have one book that uses phrases like 'ovate-lanceolate to obovately-cordate', but I prefer to keep it simple, and accept that most of the time the leaves will be fairly variable but roughly correspond to a basic shape.