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A heart-shaped leaf with a long tapering drip tip.
Also known as: Pipal leaf, Peepal leaf, Sacred fig leaf, Heart-shaped leaf with a long point
The bodhi leaf comes from Ficus religiosa, the species the Buddha is said to have sat beneath. Its long tapering point is a real botanical feature — a drip tip that sheds monsoon rain — and it is what makes the leaf instantly identifiable in art.
Denotes the leaf of the sacred fig, Ficus religiosa, the species associated with the Buddha's enlightenment.
Contexts: Religion
Is recognisable by its long tapering drip tip, a botanical adaptation for shedding heavy rain, which artists preserve when stylising the shape.
Contexts: Religion
Stands in for the Buddha himself in early aniconic Buddhist art, where the person was not depicted directly.
Contexts: Religion
A broad heart-shaped leaf with a rounded base and lobes, narrowing to a long slender tapering point at the tip, with pronounced radiating veins.