Palmated

Palmated is an adjective used to describe morphology that resembles the palm of the hand, especially when parts radiate from a central point or are spread into several lobes or digits. The term derives from Latin palmatus, meaning “having a palm,” from palma, palm of the hand.

In botany, palmation refers to leaf forms with a palm-like arrangement. Palmately lobed leaves have lobes spreading from a single point, as seen in maples. Palmately compound leaves consist of leaflets radiating from one node, as in Virginia creeper or horse chestnut. The concept also appears in descriptions of venation patterns or leaf shapes that evoke a hand’s form.

In zoology and anatomy, palmation can describe structures that are spread or radiate from a central base, including limbs or digits arranged in a handlike pattern or feet with substantial webbing. While palmate is the more common term in many contexts, palmated appears in some descriptive phrases and in the common names of certain species to highlight palm-like features.

The term is closely related to palmate, and in some texts the two forms are used interchangeably. Users should note that palmated can be encountered in historical or common-language usage, whereas palmate is the preferred technical form in many scientific references.