Sugar leaf

Sugar leaves are small, single- to few-leafleted foliar leaves that emerge from within and immediately subtend the compound raceme inflorescence, densely coated with capitate-stalked glandular trichomes that give them a frosted or "sugared" appearance (Clarke 1981; Spitzer-Rimon et al. 2019). Morphologically they represent the terminal, highly reduced foliage leaves of upper-order phytomers, with leaflet number decreasing and trichome density increasing toward the apex of the inflorescence (Spitzer-Rimon et al. 2019). Because they contain substantial cannabinoid and terpene content but have lower perigonal-bract-to-leaf ratios than the flower proper, sugar leaves are typically removed during manicuring ("trimming") and collected as trim, which is downstream processed into kief, hash, rosin, or solvent-based concentrates (Small 2015). Etymology: English descriptive compound referring to the sucrose-crystal-like trichome coating. Synonyms/slang: trim leaves, bud leaves, small leaves, "frost leaves." → See also: Trichome, Fan leaf, Trim, Kief, Hash (Products).