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bipinnate

bipinnate

9.9
A leaf with leaflets that are divided again into smaller leaflets like a feather
  • adjective
  • /ˌbaɪˈpɪneɪt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bipinnado
  • Many fern species have bipinnate leaves, creating a delicate, feathery appearance.

Examples

  • The botanist noted that the acacia's bipinnate foliage allowed more sunlight to reach the plant's lower branches.

  • By comparing the pinnate and bipinnate leaves, students could easily see the difference in leaf structure.

  • By comparing the pinnate and bipinnate leaves, students could easily see the difference in leaf structure.

  • Look at how bipinnate this leaf is!

  • The fern has bipinnate leaves that look stunning.

  • Many fern species have bipinnate leaves, creating a delicate, feathery appearance.

  • The botanist noted that the acacia's bipinnate foliage allowed more sunlight to reach the plant's lower branches.

Synonyms

twice-pinnate
vsbipinnate
  • Specialized
9.9

A leaf divided twice into pairs of small leaflets

is the same meaning but written as one single word

Compounds

bipinnate leaf
  • Specialized
8.6

A leaf with each main leaflet divided into smaller leaflets, like on ferns

How Divided

tripinnate
  • Specialized
9.9
bipinnate
  • Specialized
9.9
pinnate
  • Specialized
1 9.6
pinnatifid
  • Specialized
9.9
entire
  • Specialized
1 8.3

Surface Forms

bipinnate positive

Morphology

bipinnate = pinnate (transparent) = bi + pinnate

Formed by the productive prefix 'bi-' meaning 'two' added to the botanical adjective 'pinnate', yielding the predictable meaning 'twice-pinnate'.

Etymology

Bipinnate comes from bi- meaning 'two' and pinnate, from Latin pinna meaning 'feather'. So a bipinnate leaf is like a 'double feather', with small leaflets on smaller stems, which explains its two-level, feathery look.