hastate

Hastate is a descriptive term in botany used to characterize a specific leaf shape. A hastate leaf blade is spear-shaped, usually triangular to lanceolate, and bears two basal lobes that project outward at the base, producing a silhouette that resembles a spearhead with horns. The apex is pointed, and the base lobes may be short or extended. The leaf margins can be entire or finely serrate. The term derives from the Latin hasta, "spear," with the suffix -atus meaning "having" or "provided with." In contrast to related shapes, a hastate leaf has basal lobes that extend laterally, whereas a sagittate (arrow-shaped) leaf has basal lobes directed more downward along the midrib, and a deltoid (triangular) leaf lacks the lateral basal lobes altogether.

Hastate leaves occur in a variety of plant groups and life forms, from herbaceous perennials to shrubs, and are described in floras, herbarium labels, and horticultural texts to aid identification and comparison. The term is primarily descriptive and does not denote a taxonomic grouping; many taxa may display hastate leaves at certain stages or under certain environmental conditions.

When documenting or identifying plants, observers may note hastate as part of a broader description of leaf type alongside other features such as venation, margin, size, and attachment. See also leaf shape, sagittate, deltoid, and related morphology terms.