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Glite Dictionary
adaxial

adaxial

9.9
The side of a leaf or plant part that faces the stem and usually gets more sunlight
  • adjective
  • /əˈdæk.si.əl/
  • Specialized
translation icon : adaxial
  • The adaxial surface of the leaf is usually greener and more vibrant than the abaxial side.

Examples

  • Stomata are seen on both leaf surfaces, and adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) palisade mesophyll are present throughout the leaf.

    Academic text (1998)

  • The flowers grow on the adaxial side of the stem, making them more visible to pollinators.

  • In many plants, the adaxial part of the leaf has more chloroplasts to capture sunlight effectively.

Antonyms

abaxial
  • Specialized
9.9

The side of a leaf facing away from the stem, usually the lower side

Surface Forms

adaxial positive

Morphology

adaxial = axial (semi-transparent) = ad + axial

Formed by the prefix 'ad-' meaning 'toward' plus 'axial'; the composition is regular but the prefix and the technical botanical meaning make it less obvious to an average learner.

Etymology

Adaxial breaks into ad- meaning 'to' and axis meaning 'centre' or 'line'. So adaxial literally means the side 'toward' the plant's central line, which is why it names the leaf surface that faces the stem and often gets more light.