abruptly-pinnate leaf

Meaning

A compound leaf structure where leaflets are arranged in opposite pairs along the central stalk, ending in a pair of leaflets rather than a single terminal leaflet.

Examples

• The botanist identified the specimen as an abruptly-pinnate leaf because it lacked a terminal leaflet at the end of the rachis.
• Unlike odd-pinnate structures, the abruptly-pinnate leaf terminates with two leaflets side by side.