Video:What Are Palmately Compound Leaves On Trees?

Transcript:What Are Palmately Compound Leaves On Trees?

Hi, I'm Meghan Field, an air quality specialist in California with a background in forestry and natural resources. I'm here today for About.com to answer the question: What are palmately compound leaves on trees?

Definition of Palmately Compound Leaf

"Palmately" means that the leaves coming off of the main stalk are arranged in a shape that's similar to your palm or hand. Compound simply means that the leaf is comprised of two or more leaflets on a common stalk or axis. You'll most often find palmately compound leaves on buckeye trees, which are quite common in the Eastern states of North America.

Identifying a Palmately Compound Leaf

Let's take a closer look at palmately compound leaves. When taking a closer look at this leaflet, you can see that it is pinnately veined because it has multiple veins coming off of the main stem. However, it is still palmately compound because it is in the shape of your palm; and you have one, two, three, four, five, six leaflets, making it compound because it has more than two. And all of the leaflets are radiating from the apex of the petiole, which is right here.

Similsrity to Sycamore

Just a tip: palmately compound leaves should not be confused with palmately veined leaves, like those that can be found on a sycamore tree. Although the leaves of a sycamore are shaped like a palm, the lobes of the leaf never reach the main axis vein, which make it a simple leaf.

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