cladode

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English[edit]

cladodes of Ruscus are leaf-like and photosynthetic
The photosynthetic stems of the Allocasuarina are not leaf-like, however still considered cladodes.
cladodes of Opuntia are flattened stems

Etymology[edit]

From New Latin cladodium, from Ancient Greek κλᾰ́δος (kládos, young slip of a tree).[1]

Noun[edit]

cladode (plural cladodes)

  1. (botany) A flattened organ arising from the stem of a plant, often replacing the leaves in photosynthetic function, as leaves in such plants (for example asparagus, butchers broom) are typically reduced to scales.[2] [from 1870][1]
  2. A generally flattened shoot as of certain cactuses.

Translations[edit]

See also[edit]

  • phylloclade — a leaflike cladode, with unlimited extension growth

References[edit]

  1. 1.0 1.1 cladode”, in Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, 1996–present.
  2. ^ Acquisition and Diversification of Cladodes: Leaf-Like Organs in the Genus Asparagus