Definition

1. Noun:
   • The slender stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem: In botany, the "petiole" is the small stem-like structure that connects a leaf to a plant's main stem or branch. It supports the leaf blade and may help position it to receive sunlight.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The maple leaf has a long, slender petiole.
  • In some plants, like celery, the petiole is the edible part.
  • Botanists study the length and structure of the petiole to classify plants.

Advanced Usage

• Sessile leaf: A leaf that lacks a petiole and is attached directly to the stem.
  • Grass blades are examples of sessile leaves, as they have no petiole.
• Petiolate leaf: A leaf that possesses a petiole.
  • Oak and maple trees have petiolate leaves.

Variants and Related Words

• Petiolar (adj): Of or relating to a petiole.
  • The petiolar base was swollen.
• Petiolule (n): The stalk of a leaflet within a compound leaf.
  • Each leaflet of the rose leaf has its own small petiolule.

Synonyms

• Leafstalk: A common synonym for petiole.
• Stipe: In botany, this can sometimes refer to a stalk supporting a structure like a fern frond or a fungus, but it is not a direct synonym for the petiole of a typical leaf.

Related Terms and Concepts

• Lamina (n): The broad, flat part of a leaf; the leaf blade.
  • The petiole holds the lamina away from the stem.
• Rachis (n): The main axis of a compound leaf, to which leaflets are attached.
  • The leaflets are arranged along the rachis, which is an extension of the petiole.

Noun

1. the slender stem that supports the blade of a leaf