Acanthus Leaf

Acanthus (ornament)

The acanthus is one of the most common plant forms used to make foliage ornament and decoration in the architectural tradition emanating from Greece and Rome.

Leaf

A leaf is a principal appendage of the stem of a vascular plant, usually borne laterally above ground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", while the leaves, stem, flower, and fruit collectively form the shoot system. In most leaves, the primary photosynthetic tissue is the palisade mesophyll and is located on the upper side of the blade or lamina of the leaf, but in some species, including the mature foliage of Eucalyptus, palisade mesophyll is present on both sides and the leaves are said to be isobilateral. The leaf is an integral part of the stem system, and most leaves are flattened and have distinct upper (adaxial) and lower (abaxial) surfaces that differ in color, hairiness, the number of stomata, the amount and structure of epicuticular wax, and other features. Leaves are mostly green in color due to the presence of a compound called chlorophyll, which is essential for photosynthesis as it absorbs light energy from the Sun. A leaf with lighter-colored or white patches or edges is called a variegated leaf.

acanthus

Noun

1. A member of the genus Acanthus of herbaceous prickly plants with toothed leaves, (family Acanthaceae, order Lamiales (formerly Scrophulariales)) found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India. .mw-parser-output .defdate{font-size:smaller}
2. An ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of Acanthus spinosus, used in the capitals of the Corinthian and composite orders.

leaf

Noun

1. The usually green and flat organ that represents the most prominent feature of most vegetative plants.
2. A foliage leaf or any of the many and often considerably different structures it can specialise into.

Verb

1. To produce leaves; put forth foliage.
2. To divide (a vegetable) into separate leaves.