listki

Listki is a Polish noun that denotes small leaves. It is used as the plural form for the diminutive listek (little leaf) and, more generally, to refer to multiple small leaf blades on a plant. The term appears in everyday speech as well as in botanical writing, where it signals relative size rather than a taxonomic category.

In botanical contexts, listki describes leaflets on a compound leaf. For example, a pinnate leaf may have several listki arranged along a rachis. The word is also used for the small, often delicate leaves of herbaceous plants and ferns, where the distinction between a main leaf blade and its subdivisions is helpful for description.

In practical usage, writers may describe the color, shape, or arrangement of listki, such as “listki są zielone” (the leaflets are green) or “listki ułożone równomiernie wzdłuż osi liścia” (the leaflets are distributed evenly along the leaf axis). The term is usually clear from context, though it can be synonymous with listek in many cases.

Etymology and related terms: in Polish, listki is a diminutive plural corresponding to the concept of small leaves; it derives from listek, itself a diminutive form related to liść (leaf). Related terms include liść (leaf) and listek (little leaf).

See also: liść, listek, liścik.