Humanities History & Culture The Meaning of Leaf Names in Latin or Greek Etymology of Foliage, Leaf Types, Leaf Sizes, Leaf Shapes, and Leaf Colors Share Flipboard Email Print Matt Cardy / Getty Images History & Culture Ancient History & Culture Ancient Languages Basics Major Figures & Events Greece & Sparta Egypt Asia Rome Literature Mythology & Religion American History African American History African History Asian History European History Genealogy Inventions Latin American History Medieval & Renaissance History Military History The 20th Century Women's History View More by N.S. Gill Updated March 08, 2017 The following words are used in plant names to describe the leaves or foliage of plants.The basic Latin word for leaf is folium. Since folium is a neuter noun, the plural ends in "a" (folia). Botanically, folius is used as an adjective, as well. Foliatus, the masculine adjectival form of the Latin word for leaf, means "leaved." The feminine adjectival form is foliata and the neuter is foliatum.For more on adjectives and the agreement between them and the noun they modify, see the page on names of flower parts. If you're interested in picking up Latin vocabulary, strip the folius word from each entry on the following list. Example: In the case of acuminatifolius, stripping out folius leaves acuminat- plus a connecting vowel "i." Acuminat- is from the past participle of acumino, -are, -avi, -atus which translates into English as "to sharpen" or "to make sharp." Acuminat- may be familiar to you from the English word "acumen."Aacuminatifolius (leaves tapering gradually to a point) acuminatifolia acuminatifoliumacutifolius (pointed leaves) acutifolia acutifoliumaequifolius (equal leaves) aequifolii aequifoliumafoliatus (without leaves) afoliata afoliatumalbifolius (white leaved) albifolia albifoliumalternifolius (alternating leaves) alternifolia alternifoliumamplexifolius (leaves clasped [amplector to wind around, surround]) amplexifolia amplexifoliumamplifolius (large leaved) amplifolia amplifolium angustifolius (narrow leaved) angustifolia angustifoliumargutifolius (sharply toothed leaves) argutifolia argutifoliumauriculifolius (leaves like an ear auricula - the ear, diminutive) auriculifolia auriculifoliumBbifoliatus (with two leaves) bifoliata bifoliatumbipennifolius (two feathered leaves) bipennifolia bipennifolium brevifolius (short leaved) brevifolia brevifoliumCcapillifolius (hairy leaved) capillifolia capillifoliumcentifolius (100 leaves) centifolia centifoliumcerefolius (wax leaved) cerefolia cerefoliumchlorifolius (light green leaved) chlorifolia chlorifoliumconfertifolius (dense leaved) confertifolia confertifoliumcordifolius (heart shaped leaves) cordifolia cordifoliumcrassifolius (thick leaved) crassifolia crassifoliumcuneifolius (leaves tapered to the base) cuneifolia cuneifoliumcurtifolius (shortened leaves) curtifolia curtifoliumcuspidifolius (stiff pointed leaves) cuspidifolia cuspidifoliumcymbifolius (boat shaped leaves) cymbifolia cymbifoliumDdensifolius (densely leaved) densifolia densifoliumdistentifolius (distended leaves) distentifolia distentifoliumdiversifolius (many shaped leaves) diversifolia diversifoliumEensifolius (sword shaped leaves) ensifolia ensifoliumexilifolius (small leaved) exilifolia exilifoliumFfalcifolius (sickle shaped leaves) falcifolia falcifoliumfilicifolius (fern like leaves) filicifolia filicifoliumfilifolius (thread like leaves) filifolia filifoliumflabellifolius (fan shaped leaves) flabellifolia flabellifoliumfoliaceus (leafy, resembling a leaf) foliacea foliaceum foliolosus (having small leaves) foliolosa foliolosumfoliosior (leafier) foliosior foliosius foliosissimus (leafiest) foliosissima foliosissimumfoliosus (leafy) foliosa foliosumGgracilifolius (slender leaved) gracilifolia gracilifoliumgraminifolius (grass leaved) graminifolia graminifoliumgrandifolius (large leaved) grandifolia grandifoliumIintegrifolius (leaves entire) integrifolia integrifoliumLlatifolius (broad leaved) latifolia latifoliumlaxifolius (loose leaved) laxifolia laxifoliumlinearifolius (linear leaves) linearifolia linearifoliumlongifolius (long leaves) longifolia longifoliumMmillefoliatus (with 1,000 leaves) millefoliata millefoliatummillefolius (1,000 leaved) millefolia millefoliumminutifolius (small leaved) minutifolia minutifoliummucronifolius (sharp pointed leaves) mucronifolia mucronifolium multifolius (many leaved) multifolia multifoliumOoblongifolius (oblong leaves) oblongifolia oblongifoliumobtusifolius (blunt leaves) obtusifolia obtusifoliumoppositifolius (leaves opposite) oppositifolia oppositifoliumovalifolius (oval leaves) ovalifolia ovalifoliumPparvifolius (small leaves) parvifolia parvifoliumpaucifolius (few leaved) paucifolia paucifoliumperfoliatus (leaves joined around stem) perfoliata perfoliatumpinguifolius (fat leaves) pinguifolia pinguifoliumplanifolius (flat leaved) planifolia planifoliumQquadrifolius (4 leaved) quadrifolia quadrifoliumRrectifolius (erect leaves) rectifolia rectifoliumreflexifolius (reflexed leaves) reflexifolia reflexifoliumremotifolius (leaves distant from each other) remotifolia remotifoliumrenifolius (kidney shaped leaves) renifolia renifoliumrhombifolius (diamond shaped leaves) rhombifolia rhombifoliumrotundifolius (round leaves) rotundifolia rotundifoliumrubrifolius (red leaves) rubrifolia rubrifoliumSsagittifolius (arrow shaped leaves) sagittifolia sagittifoliumsetifolius (with bristly leaves) setifolia setifoliumsimplicifolius (simple leaved) simplicifolia simplicifoliumspathulifolius (spatula shaped leaves) spathulifolia spathulifoliumspiculifolius (spiky leaves) spiculifolia spiculifoliumsubrotundifolius (leaves less round) subrotundifolia subrotundifoliumTtenuifolius (slender leaved) tenuifolia tenuifoliumteretifolius (cylindrical leaves) teretifolia teretifoliumternifolius (leaves in 3) ternifolia ternifoliumtortifolius (twisted leaves) tortifolia tortifolium trifoliatus (3 leaved) trifoliata trifoliatumtrifoliolatus (trifoliolate) trifoliolata trifoliolatumtrifolius (3 leaves) trifolia trifoliumUundulatifolius (wavy edged leaves) undulatifolia undulatifoliumunifoliatus (one leaf) unifoliata unifoliatumunifolius (one leaf) unifolia unifoliumVvariifolius (variegated leaves) variifolia variifoliumvillifolius (hairy leaves) villifolia villifoliumviridifolius (green leaved) viridifolia viridifolium citecite this article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Gill, N.S. "The Meaning of Leaf Names in Latin or Greek." ThoughtCo, Feb. 10, 2017, thoughtco.com/foliage-words-meaning-of-leaf-names-117905. Gill, N.S. (2017, February 10). The Meaning of Leaf Names in Latin or Greek. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/foliage-words-meaning-of-leaf-names-117905 Gill, N.S. "The Meaning of Leaf Names in Latin or Greek." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/foliage-words-meaning-of-leaf-names-117905 (accessed April 24, 2018). copy citation Continue Reading