Difference Between Petiole and Pedicel

The key difference between petiole and pedicel is that the petiole is the stalk of a leaf while the pedicel is the stalk of an individual flower.

In botany, petiole and pedicel are two terms we use to refer two different stalks. Angiosperms are flowering plants that use a flower as their reproductive structure. A flower has different parts including the petals, sepals, pistil, anther, pedicel, etc. Pedicel joins an individual flower to the stem or to the peduncle of an inflorescence. Plant leaves are sites of food production in plants. Leaves join to the stem via petioles.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Petiole
3. What is Pedicel
4. Similarities Between Petiole and Pedicel
5. Side by Side Comparison – Petiole vs Pedicel in Tabular Form
6. Summary

What is Petiole?

Leaves are the sites that produce carbohydrates by photosynthesis in plants. Hence, they are very important structures. There are many leaves in a single plant. Petiole is the stalk that connects a leaf to the stem. It is the leafstalk. Petiole holds the leaf blade. Petioles are also able to produce foods via photosynthesis. Furthermore, petioles are the structures that are responsible for the leaf falls in deciduous plants during the fall season. The length of the petiole can vary in different plants. They can be long, short or completely absent. If petioles are absent or leave join to the stem without petioles, we call those leaves as sessile leaves.

Petioles provide the path to transport foods, water, etc. When leaves produce foods, they are transported to the other parts of the plant through the petiole. Furthermore, the ingredients necessary to carry out photosynthesis by leaves are supplied via the petioles. And also, petioles do an important job in directing leaves to the sunlight for capturing more sunlight for photosynthesis.

What is Pedicel?

A pedicel is a small stalk that joins an individual flower to the stem of the plant. And also a pedicel joins a single flower in an inflorescence to its peduncle. If a flower attaches to plant stem or peduncle without a pedicel, then we call it as s sessile flower. There are many pedicels in an inflorescence joining to peduncle. Pedicel length may vary even within one inflorescence. As an example, in raceme type inflorescence, pedicel lengths are different giving it a nice shape.

The main function of the pedicel is the holding of an individual flower. And also it helps to expose the flowers to sun and pollinators. When the flowers are visible to pollinators, it will attract them, and the aroma of flowers will reach the pollinators easily.

What are the Similarities Between Petiole and Pedicel?

• Petiole and pedicel are two stalk-like structures that hold another important structure of the plants.
• Both of them perform crucial functions in plants.

What is the Difference Between Petiole and Pedicel?

Petiole joins the leaves to plant stem while pedicel joins individual flowers to plant stem or to peduncle of an inflorescence. Furthermore, petioles are the pipelines that transport foods produced by leaves to the other parts of the plant. And also they direct leaves to the sunlight for capturing more light for photosynthesis. On the other hand, pedicels expose flowers to the sun and to pollinators. The below infographic presents the difference between petiole and pedicel in tabular form.

Summary – Petiole vs Pedicel

Petiole is the leafstalk that connects the leaf blade to stem. Pedicel is the flower stalk which joins the flower to stem or to peduncle. Both stalks are really important in plants. Petiole facilitates the transportation of things from and to the leaves. Pedicels make flowers visible to pollinators. This is the key difference between petiole and pedicel.

Reference:

1.Study.com, Study.com. Available here  
2.“Pedicel (Botany).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 July 2018. Available here 

Image Courtesy:

1.Acacia koa with phyllode between the branch and the compound leaves”By Wmpearl – Own work, (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 
2.”Delphinium nuttallianum 15498″By Walter Siegmund (talk) – Own work, (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia