Leaf Arrangement
One of the first characteristics that I look at when trying to identify a plant is how the leaves are arranged on stem. Leaf arrangement can help you narrow down the family that the plant might be part of which makes it easier to identify the plant. While there are several different leaf arrangements there are three that you are the most common. The first leaf arrangement is alternate arrangement where the leaves alternate down the stem so only one leaf is attached at every node. This leaf arrangement is the most common in the plant world. The second most common is the opposite leaf arrangement where the leaves are in pairs along the stem similar to rungs on a ladder. There are far fewer plants that have an opposite leaf arrangement. The third most common leaf arrangement is the whorled leaf arrangement where three or more leaves are grouped at each node all around the stem. While there are some rare plants that can have multiple leaf arrangements on the same plant most plants will only have one. (Node- Area of the stem where buds are located, an area where growth appears at the base of a leaf)
