Bredbladede

Bredbladede is a morphological descriptor used in botany and horticulture in Scandinavian-language texts to denote leaves that are broad and flat, as opposed to narrow or needle-like. It is not a taxonomic group or a scientific name, but a character used to describe leaf shape in floras, field guides, and plant catalogs. The term is formed from bred (broad) and blad (leaf), with the suffix -ede creating an adjective. Cognate forms appear in Norwegian, Danish, and Swedish plant literature.

In practice, bredbladede describes a range of dicotyledonous plants with wide leaf blades, and may also apply to some trees and shrubs with conspicuously broad foliage. The descriptor is most useful when distinguishing between species or varieties in the same region that differ notably in leaf width, rather than indicating any shared ancestry or ecological strategy.

Usage and interpretation of bredbladede depend on context within a flora or guide. It conveys morphological information that can aid field identification and comparison, but it does not imply a taxonomic grouping. As with other leaf-shape terms, its relevance is regional and tied to the level of detail in the instrument describing the plants (field guide, flora, or horticultural catalog).

See also leaf morphology, broadleaf, and regional flora terminology.