Leaflet (botany)

A leaflet (occasionally called foliole) in botany is a leaf-like part of a compound leaf.^[1] Though it resembles an entire leaf, a leaflet is not borne on a main plant stem or branch, as a leaf is, but rather on a petiole or a branch of the leaf.^[2] Compound leaves are common in many plant families and they differ widely in morphology.^[3] The two main classes of compound leaf morphology are palmate and pinnate. For example, a hemp plant has palmate compound leaves, whereas some species of Acacia have pinnate leaves.

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The ultimate free division (or leaflet) of a compound leaf, or a pinnate subdivision of a multipinnate leaf is called a pinnule or pinnula.

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  Pinnate leaf of a legume with 10 leaflets
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  Mimosa pudica folding leaflets inward.