Glossary Details – Lecythidaceae

Glossary Details:

Shapes of the leaves of Myrtaceae on Saba. Drawing by S. A. Mori.

An ovate leaf blade. Drawing by B. Angell.

Basic leaf blade forms. Drawing by M. N. Sashital.

Title: Ovate shapes. Drawing by M. N. Sashital.

Description: An ovate shape has its widest point below the middle. The different kinds of ovate leaves are determined by the length to wide ratio as follows: ovate = length to width ratio from 1.5:1 to less than 2:1; widely ovate = length to width ratio from 1.2:1 to less than 1.5:1, very widely ovate = length to width ratio of 1:1 or less; narrowly ovate = length to width ratio of 2:1 to less than 3:1; and lanceolate = length to width ratio of more than 3:1. Based on Hickey (1973). For more information about leaf morphology and leaf venation see Ellis et al. (2009).

Term:

Ovate

Definition:

Ovate refers to a leaf, sepal, petal, or other flat structure that is wider at the base than at the midpoint, tapers toward the apex, and has a length-to-width ratio of 1.5:1 to less than 2:1.

Related Terms:

Lanceolate
Narrowly ovate
Widely ovate
Very widely ovate