Summary Leaves are determinate organs produced by the shoot apical meristem. Land plants demonstrate a large range of variation in leaf form. Here we discuss evolution of leaf form in the context of our current understanding of leaf development, as this has emerged from molecular genetic studies in model organisms. We also discuss specific examples where parallel studies of development in different species have helped understanding how diversification of leaf form may occur in nature. Contents Summary 693 I. Introduction 693 II. Genetics of shoot development in simple-leafed model organisms 696 III. Dissected leaves 703 IV. Conclusions and future directions 705 Acknowledgements 706 References 706 <!-- <abstractinfo format="display">
New Phytologist (2005) doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01466.x©New Phytologist (2005) </abstractinfo> -->