Making a Real Life Leaf Collection
Making a Real Life Leaf Collection
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In this activity, you will gather, press and label plant leaves to create a life-size leaf collection.
By the end of this activity, you should be able to:
- understand the processes used for collecting, pressing and drying plant leaves
- use resources to identify the plant leaves
- decide what information to include on an identification label
- discuss the value in having a leaf collection.
Living World Achievement: Understand the processes of life and appreciate the diversity of living things.
Key Concept: Connection
Related Concept: Biodiversity
Every plant species has its own combination of leaf characters that make it recognisable—shape, size, texture, form and arrangement.
Parts of a leaf
Parts of a leaf
There are three principal parts to a leaf:
- The leaf blade or lamina.
- The leaf stalk or petiole (if absent, leaf is said to be sessile). Most monocot leaves are sessile. (Leaflet stalk = petiolule).
- The leaf base. The leaf tip is the apex.
Collecting the Leaves
Collecting the Leaves
- Choose a plant. Use a computer to research and identify what plant/tree the leaf has come from. If possible - photograph the entire plant - its stem, trunk, bark, seeds and so on.
- Record the details of the plant/leaf on the plant identification label.
- This website may be of some assistance to help identify your leaf:
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