Yksilippisiä

Yksilippisiä is a Finnish term that translates to "single-leafed" or "unifoliate" in English. It is primarily used in botany to describe plants that possess leaves composed of a single leaflet. This contrasts with pinnately or palmately compound leaves, which are made up of multiple smaller leaflets.

Many common plants exhibit unifoliate leaves. Examples include the clover family (Fabaceae), where the characteristic three-leafed form of common clover is actually a trifoliate leaf, meaning it has three leaflets. However, some species within this family can be unifoliate. Other examples can be found in various genera, though specific identification often requires botanical expertise.

The distinction between a simple leaf (which is unifoliate) and a compound leaf is a fundamental concept in plant morphology. A simple leaf has an undivided blade, even if it is deeply lobed. A unifoliate leaf, therefore, refers to a simple leaf that is not divided into leaflets. The term is less common in general English botanical literature, which tends to use "simple leaf" or "unifoliate leaf" directly. The Finnish term emphasizes the singular nature of the leaflet structure.