A description of a leaf can bring together several dimensions at once. The country indicates provenance. The region specifies an area. Harvest position distinguishes levels of the plant. Shade-grown cultivation describes an agricultural practice. Filler, binder and wrapper indicate where the material goes within the cigar.

The Cigar Aficionado glossary calls the levels of leaves primings and explains progressive harvesting from the lower parts of the plant upwards. It also describes shade grown as cultivation under a cover that filters the light to obtain thinner, more elastic leaves. The two terms refer to different aspects of production.

To practise this kind of reading, imagine a sheet that reports a Connecticut-seed wrapper grown in Ecuador under shade. The description brings together seed, country, method and function. Each piece of data answers a different question. The brand of the piece belongs to yet another level: it identifies the finished product that uses that leaf.