Development of leaf shape

Variation among vascular plants in the initiation and patterning of leaves results in a diverse array of leaf shape, including the strap-like leaf of many grasses and the broad lamina of most eudicots. Recent findings highlig ht the importance of interactions between the shoot apical meristem (SAM) a nd developing leaf primordia in axis specification and the establishment of leaf shape. Global regulators of epigenetic states have been implicated in these interactions and may play a role in distinguishing founder cells and stem cells within the SAM.