Leaf spots are round blemishes found on the leaves of many species of plants, mostly caused by parasitic fungi or bacteria.
A typical spot is "zonal", meaning it has a definite edge and often has a darker border. When lots of spots are present, they can grow together and become a blight or a blotch. Fungal spots are usually round or free-form in shape.
In most cases, leaf spots are considered to be only a cosmetic problem, but they can have economic effects on nurseries or in floriculture.
Famous quotes containing the words leaf and/or spot:
“So near to paradise all pairing ends:
Here loveless birds now flock as winter friends,
Content with bud-inspecting. They presume
To say which buds are leaf and which are bloom.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“Stoop, angels, hither from the skies!
There is no holier spot of ground
Than where defeated valor lies,
By mourning beauty crowned!”
—Henry Timrod (1828–1867)