From John Etherington
Interpretation of leaf shape has enticed Lynn Dicks into a quagmire which has
entrapped many a botanist during the past century or two
(25 December 1999, p 26).
Similarly shaped leaves occur so often in different environments, that many
plant names reflect the fact. For example, the aquatic ivy-leaved crowfoot,
Ranunculus hederaceus, has floating leaves that resemble the lobed leaves
of common ivy, Hedera helix, a land plant. Such facts make it very
difficult to interpret the function of leaf shape, and it is far too easy to
look for a simple explanation when there are so many variables.
Llanhowell, Pembrokeshire
