Petiolata

Petiolata is a term primarily used in botany to describe a plant part that possesses a petiole. A petiole is the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem. Therefore, a petiolata leaf, for instance, is a leaf that is clearly separated from the stem by this stalk. Plants lacking a petiole, where the leaf blade attaches directly to the stem, are termed sessile. The presence or absence of a petiole, and the characteristics of the petiole itself, such as its length, thickness, and any appendages it might have, are often important diagnostic features used in plant identification and classification. The term can also be applied to other plant structures that have a stalk-like appendage, though its most common usage relates to leaves.