The dynamics of maize leaf development: Patterned to grow while growing a pattern

Leaves are a significant component of the shoot system in grasses, functioning in light capture and photosynthesis. Leaf width, length, and angle are expressions of development that collectively define canopy architecture. Thus, the distinctive morphology of grass leaves is an interdependent readout of developmental patterning and growth along the proximal-distal, medial-lateral, and adaxial-abaxial axes. Here, we review the chronology of patterning and growth, namely along the proximal-distal axis, during maize leaf development. We underscore that patterning and growth occur simultaneously, making use of shared developmental gradients and molecular pathways.