lancetshaped

Lancet-shaped is a descriptive term used in botany and morphology to describe an object that is long, narrow, and tapered to a sharp point, resembling a lancet or spear. In plant descriptions, it is applied to leaves or leaf-like structures whose length greatly exceeds their width and that taper toward a pointed apex. The base of the leaf may be rounded, slightly narrowed, or less prominent than the tip, but the overall silhouette remains elongated.

In botanical usage, lancet-shaped is closely related to the term lanceolate. Some sources treat lancet-shaped as a slender form of lanceolate, emphasizing a particularly narrow and narrow-tipped profile. Others use it more as a descriptive variant rather than a distinct category. Because terminology can vary among floras and authors, the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, while in other contexts a more specific distinction is made.

The descriptor can also be applied to other elongated plant features, such as petals or bracts, when their form is notably narrow and pointed rather than broad.

Etymology traces the word to the noun lancet, from Latin lancea and the French lancette, reflecting the blade-like, spear-shaped appearance that the term conveys. In practice, lancet-shaped conveys a slender, tapered profile and is commonly used as a complementary or alternate description to lanceolate in plant morphology.