What is the name given to the swollen leaf base in leguminous plants?

Step-by-step solution

A typical leaf consists of three main parts: leaf base, petiole and lamina (Figure 5.4 a). The leaf is attached to the stem by the leaf base and may bear two lateral small leaf like structures called stipules. In monocotyledons, the leaf base expands into a sheath covering the stem partially or wholly. In some leguminous plants the leafbase may become swollen, which is called the pulvinus. The petiole help hold the blade to light. Long thin flexible petioles allow leaf blades to flutter in wind, thereby cooling the