Glossary Details – Lecythidaceae

Glossary Details:

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

A lanceolate leaf blade. Drawing by B. Angell.

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:

Lanceolate

Definition:

Lanceolate 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 3:1 or more.

Related Terms:

Narrowly ovate
Ovate
Widely ovate
Very widely ovate