thumbnail, Scale leaves on the bud of a pear tree
thumbnail, Scale leaves on the caulis of a Tussilago
A scale leaf is a
leaf
A leaf (: leaves) is a principal appendage of the plant stem, stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leav ...
with a reduced blade which is mainly formed by the amphigastrium. It can be dry, membranous or
coriaceous
This glossary of botanical terms is a list of definitions of terms and concepts relevant to botany and plants in general. Terms of plant morphology are included here as well as at the more specific Glossary of plant morphology and Glossary ...
, but also sometimes green.
Scale leaves protect with their bud scales the leaves and flowers inside the
bud
In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or Plant embryogenesis, embryonic Shoot (botany), shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a Plant stem, stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormancy, dormant conditi ...
from drying out in winter. In some species the scale leaves are additionally covered with a sticky layer of wax.
Green scale leaves can be found for example on the caulis of ''
Tussilago
''Tussilago farfara'', commonly known as coltsfoot, is a plant in the tribe Senecioneae in the family Asteraceae, native to Europe and parts of western and central Asia. The name "tussilago" is derived from the Latin ''tussis'', meaning cough, an ...
''. They can also be found on plants growing in drier habitats, for example ''
Haloxylon ammodendron
'' Haloxylon ammodendron'', variously called the saxaul (), black saxaul, also spelled sacsaoul or saksaul is a plant belonging to the family Amaranthaceae. "Saksaul" is a common Turkic word that entered Russian through Kazakh.
Description
The ...
'', the saxaul.
Literature
* Eckehart J. Jäger: ''Rothmaler Exkursionsflora von Deutschland. Gefäßpflanzen: Grundband.'' Spektrum, Heidelberg 2011, ISBN 978-3-8274-1606-3, p. 893.
* Peter Sitte, Hubert Ziegler, Friedrich Ehrendorfer, Andreas Bresinsky: ''Strasburger, Lehrbuch der Botanik.'' Gustav Fischer, Stuttgart, Jena, New York 1991, ISBN 3-437-20447-5, p. 214–215.
Leaves