Close-up of a leafy shoot. The leaves are alternate & pinnately compound. The leaflets have serrate margins. The large, ligulate stipule sits in the axil of the leaf. Photo by Scott Zona CC BY-NC 2.0.

The stipules of Melianthus major are intrapetiolar: The pair of stipules at each leaf is fused across the upper (adaxial) side of the petiole to form one large stipule in an unusual position. Very few plant families have intrapetiolar stipules. #stipule #Francoaceae #Botany 🌾🧪🌱