the.com/stipule
The leaf's tiny wingmen flanking the stem, gone before you notice them.
means A small leaf-like appendage, usually one of a pair, found at the base of a leaf stalk where it meets the stem.
from From Latin stipula, meaning 'stalk' or 'straw' — the same root that gives us 'stipulate' (originally about touching a straw to seal a bargain). Botanists borrowed stipula in the 18th century to name these small flanking growths, likely because of their slender, stem-like look.
- location
- paired outgrowths at the base of a leafstalk
- lifespan
- often drop off early, leaving just scars
- disguise
- sometimes look like spines, scales, or tiny leaves
- job
- protect the baby leaf bud before it unfurls