Glossary Details – Lecythidaceae

Glossary Details:

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

An obovate leaf blade. Drawing by B. Angell.

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

Description: An obovate shape has its widest point above the middle. The different kinds of obovate leaves are determined by the length to wide ratio as follows: obovate = length to width ratio from 1.5:1 to less than 2:1; widely obovate = length to width ratio from 1.2:1 to less than 1.5:1, very widely obovate = length to width ratio of 1:1 or less; narrowly obovate = length to width ratio of 2:1 to less than 3:1; and oblanceolate = 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:

Obovate

Definition:

Obovate refers to a leaf, sepal, petal, or other flat structure that is wider above the midpoint and has a length-to-width ratio of 1.5:1 to less than 2:1.