 A pinnate fern frond ( Blechnum appendiculatum). Pinnate is a term used to describe feather-like or many-divided features arising from both sides of a common axis in plant or animal structures, and comes from the Latin word pinna for "feather". The word is, in many cases, synonymous with the term pectinate, although the latter refers to a comb-like arrangement of parts.
Botanically, the term describes once-divided leaf blades having leaflets that are arranged on both sides of a petiole, a feature displayed by many palms (notable the feather palms) and most cycads. Most species of ferns have pinnate fronds. Pinnate plants are colloquially called "feather-leaved".
See also: paripinnate, imparipinnate, bipinnate, tripinnate, palmate, costapalmate, simple
The fish Platax pinnatus is known as the pinnate spadefish or pinnate batfish.
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