This document discusses classifying leaves based on their vein patterns. It introduces three main patterns used in leaf classification: palmate, pinnate, and parallel. Palmate leaves have several large veins extending from the leaf stem like fingers on a palm. Pinnate leaves have one long vein with smaller veins branching off like a feather. Parallel leaves have many small veins running the length of the leaf, as seen in grass blades. Students will collect leaves, examine their veins, and sort them into these three categories to learn plant classification.

1. Focus Question: How can
leaves be classified?
Living Systems 2-2

2. Focus on Leaves
Vascular plants are composed of
millions of living cells
Every cell needs water, minerals,
and food (sugar)
Vascular system of plants is really
two systems
Xylem transports water and minerals
to the cells
Phloem transports sugar to the cells

3. Most xylem tubes begin in the
roots and end in the leaves.
Most phloem tubes start in the
leaves and end in the roots.
Find out about the place where the
xylem ends and the phloem
begins, the leaf.

4. Leaf Collection
Stay with your group
Collect ONE leaf from as many
different plants as you can find in
5 minutes. Get leaves of all sizes.
Keep sample in the bag.

5. Sorting Leaves
Look closely at each leaf
Sort into those that show evidence
of xylem and phloem and those
that don’t.
How many of your leaves have
veins?
Are the veins all the same size?
Do the veins branch?
Sort your leaves in a new way.

6. Classification
Scientists organize, or classify, things
so they can think about them more
efficiently
A group of things that go together based
on a property or behavior is a class.
5th
graders form a class based on age. 4th
graders are a different class, etc… In
schools we classify students by age.
 Geology – classify crystals by shapes and
angles of surfaces. Classify sand by
particle size.

7. Leaf Classification
Based on basic pattern of the
veins.
Botanists have developed a
systems that uses three patterns.
Palmate
Pinnate
Parallel

8. Palmate
 Several large veins
extending from the
place where the leaf
stem attaches to the
leaf.
 Think of the palm of
your hand and your
fingers as the main
veins.

9. Pinnate
 One large vein
extending the
length of the leaf
with smaller veins
branching off.
 Pinna means
feather, so a
pinnate leaf
resembles a
feather

10. Parallel
 Many small veins
running the
length of the leaf.
 Long, narrow
leaves, like blades
of grass, tend to
have parallel
veins.

11. Leaf Classification
Classify your leaves based on
venation pattern.
Are there other ways to classify
your leaf collections?
Leaf Shape (Blade)
Kind of edge (Margin)
Kind of attachment (Petiole)

12. Vocabulary
 Classify
 To organize by similar properties or
behavior
 Palmate
 Several large veins extending from the
place where the leaf stem attaches to the
leaf (Palm)
 Pinnate
 One large vein extending the length of the
leaf with smaller veins branching off
(Feather)
 Parallel
 Many small veins running the length of the
leaf (Grass)

13. Content
Venation
Classifying leaves by their vein
pattern
How do scientists organize objects
and information?
Scientists classify things by
putting them in groups (classes)
based on similar properties and
behaviors.

14. Homework
Read Classification, pg. 105-106,
and Summary: Vascular Plants,
pg. 107-109
Answer questions for both articles
I-check 2 quiz on Friday, 10/11

15. Classification
What is classification?
What are three different ways leaves
can be classified?
If you had a collection of insects, what
ways might you classify them?

16. Summary: Vascular Plants
Describe how all the cells in a vascular
plant get sugar.
Describe how all the cells in a vascular
plant get water and minerals.
Why do its leaves turn pink when a
celery stalk is placed in red water?
In what way are blood and sap the
same?

17. Name That Leaf
 Palmate Leaf

18. Name That Leaf
 Parallel Leaf

19. Name That Leaf
 Pinnate Leaf

20. Could These Leaves Come
From the Same Plant?
 Why?

21. Could These Leaves Come
From the Same Plant?
 Why?