A
leaflet in
botany is a leaf-like part of a
compound leaf. 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. Compound leaves are common in many plant families and they differ widely in
morphology. 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.