The main driving force of water uptake and transport into a plant is transpiration of water from leaves. Transpiration is the process of water evaporation through specialized openings in the leaves, called stomates. (Remember, the xylem is a continuous water column that extends from the leaf to the roots.)

Photosynthesis releases oxygen gas as a byproduct and the oxygen diffuses out through the stomata of the leaves. Plants also lose water vapor through their stomata; this process of water loss is called transpiration.

Plants have a waxy cuticle on their leaves to prevent desiccation, or drying out. Carbon dioxide and oxygen cannot pass through the cuticle, but move in and out of leaves through openings called stomata (stoma = “hole”).

During day time, oxygen is produced in the leaves. This is because photosynthesis occurs during the day. So leaves use some of this oxygen for respiration and rest of it is diffused out in the air. The carbon dioxide produced during respiration in the leaves is also used up in photosynthesis.

The tiny openings on the leaf surface are called stomata. Plants also diffuse out oxygen which is one of the end product of photosynthesis through stomata. Stomata are surrounded by guard cells which controls the opening and closing of stomata.

The veins in a leaf represent the vascular structure of the organ, extending into the leaf via the petiole and providing transportation of water and nutrients between leaf and stem, and play a crucial role in the maintenance of leaf water status and photosynthetic capacity.

There are two basic forms of leaves that can be described considering the way the blade (or lamina) is divided. Leaves may be simple or compound. Simple and compound leaves: Leaves may be simple or compound. In simple leaves, the lamina is continuous.

The two main categories are simple leaves and compound leaves. A simple leaf has a single blade on its stalk and the stalk is attached to the plant body. A compound leaf is a leaf stalk that has more than one leaf blade on it, and the multiple leaf blades are called leaflets.

The specific palm trees sporting the world’s biggest leaves belong to the Raphia genus, with the crown going to Raphia regalis, which is native to some African countries. Each leaf may be up to 80 feet long and 10 feet wide… taller than many trees!

The researchers say that C. gigantifolia, which grows to about 15 meters (49 feet) in height and has leaves that can reach 2.5 meters (8 feet) in length, likely has the largest known leaf among dicotyledonous plants — a large group of flowering plants that include sunflowers, hibiscus, tomatoes and roses.

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