Variegated leaf

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A variegated leaf is a leaf which contains green and non green parts. As the green parts contain chlorophyll they can photosynthesise, but the non green parts do not contain chlorophyll so they can not photosynthesise.

[change] Uses

A variegated leaf is useful in conducting experiments that can show that chlorophyll is needed for photosynthesis.

[change] Experiments

The easiest of these experiments is to place the leaf in boiling ethanol (alcohol) and when drained of colour spread out on a flat surface. Soak the leaf in iodine and the green parts will turn blue/black and the non green parts will stay the yellowish brown colour of iodine. The green parts contained starch (a more compact form of glucose) which made the iodine turn blue/black.