Title: Leaf Variation

Purpose:

• to observe, measure, and graph leaf characteristics
• to determine types of variation in leaves of same species
• to observe and describe different types of leaf patterns

Materials:

• leaves of a single species of plant (Ficus sp.)
• leaves from several different plants
• ruler
• calculator
• graph paper

Procedure:

• Measure the length and width of 25 leaves (use cm)
  • Record data in chart (see sample below)
  • Calculate area estimate (lenght x width) in cm²
  • Graph length (x-axis) vs area (y-axis)
  • Describe leaf venation pattern
• Trace and/or draw 5~10 leaves from different plants
  • for each leaf, record species name, color, overall leaf shape, leaf venation pattern
  • record this data in a chart
• Answer the analysis questions

Data:

Results: This will be your data charts and graph

Analysis & Discussion: Answer the following questions

• Summarize what you did
• Describe the characteristics of Ficus sp. leaves
• Compare and contrast Ficus sp. leaves to those of the other species you observed
• Were all leaves the same length?
• What is the relation of leaf length and leaf area for Ficus sp. leaves?
• Comment on variation in leaf characteristics

Conclusion: A one sentence testable statement about variation in leaf characteristics

Reflection: Personal thoughts on this activity

back to top

Resources:

• Leaf Characteristics
  • http://www.america.net/~toms/leaf.htm
  • http://biology.uoregon.edu/reference/treeid/terms
  • html http://royal.okanagan.bc.ca/projects/wildf/field-8.html
  • http://www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com/thumbs.htm
  • http://www2.cdepot.net/~walser/worldofscience/Biology/Pictorial%20Help/Botany/leaves_of_angiosperms.htm
  • http://wildflower.perthwa.com.au/leaves-shape.shtml
• Tomato Leaf Variation
  • http://www-plb.ucdavis.edu/courses/plb105/Students/Tomato/Leaves/leafvar.html
• Leaf Shape Variation in Morning Glory
  • http://www.zoology.duke.edu/rausher/lec3ex1.htm
• Why Do Plants Have Leaves?
  • http://fig.cox.miami.edu/Faculty/Tom/bil160sp98/plantform/13_plantform.html

back to top