emarginate

Emarginate is a descriptive term used in biology to indicate that a structure has a small notch or indentation, giving it a notched or maculated outline. The notch is usually shallow and located at the edge of a surface or at the tip of a structure.

In botany, emarginate most often refers to the apex of leaves, where the tip is notched rather than sharp or rounded. It can also describe petals, sepals, or other floral parts that show a shallow notch at their tips. The term is also applied to seeds or fruit components that display a slight inward indentation along their margins. In botanical descriptions, emarginate margins are considered one of several possible leaf tip or edge shapes, alongside terms such as entire, ciliate, or serrate.

Beyond botany, emarginate is used in zoological and anatomical contexts to describe notched margins or lobes on various organisms and structures. For example, it may appear in the description of shells, wings, or other anatomical features where a small indentation is present along an edge. The precise appearance of the notch can vary by species and structure, but the core idea remains a shallow, noticeable indentation.

Etymology-wise, emarginate derives from Latin emarginatus, from emarginare, meaning to notch out or to notch the edge. It is related to terms such as emargination or emarginated, used to describe the resulting shape.