A sharp protrusion of the blade of stemmed or notched types at the proximal corners. There are 6 major types of barbs, Expanded which means flaring outward and upwards towards the distal end, Horizontal which means flaring outward at 90 degrees to the stem, Inversely Tapered which means pointing downward and getting thinner, Rounded which means the...... Found on http://www.encyclo.co.uk/visitor-contributions.php