In
botany,
stipule (
Latin stipula: straw, stalk) is a term coined by
Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side (sometimes just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the
petiole). A pair of stipules is considered part of the anatomy of the
leaf of a typical
flowering plant, although in many species the stipules are inconspicuous or entirely absent (and the leaf is then termed
exstipulate).