Compound Leaves

Compound leaves are Leaves whose blade is subdivided into several small leaflets. An entire group of leaflets connected to the same petiole is considered as a single compound leaf. Leaflets and their “stems”, actually petioles, have different properties than the full leaves connected to stems. They do not have nodes and internodes; terminal buds cannot grow at the tip of the petiole; there are no axils in the petioles; and axillary buds do not grow at the bases of the leaflets.

Compound leaves are typically flattened, as if they have been ironed.