petiole

Definition

The stalk of a leaf, attaching the blade to the stem.

Etymology

Borrowed from French pétiole, and its source, Late Latin petiolus (“little foot”), diminutive form of Latin pēs (“foot”).

Example Sentences

• "Most insects consume tissue from the leaf blade were measured just past the twist on the side away only, leaving the leaf petioles unscathed."
• "By contrast, the petioles of large pinnate leaves, as well as stems, typically resist torsion by placing stiff materials with high elastic moduli (like sclerenchyma) toward the perimeters of their cross sections."
• "An example of this is leaf petioles. Some species of trees have pinnate leaves which, when the leaves fall, shed pinnae from the petiole, which is then left as a tapering, somewhat flexible rod."