) the midrib of the leaf often coils around a support like a tendril and holds the pitcher in a vertical position. . Phylloclade This is a green, flattened cylindrical or angled stem or branch of unlimited growth, consisting of a series of nodes and internodes at long or short intervals. Phylloclade is characteristic adaptation of xerophytes where the leaves often fall off early and modified into spines or scales to reduce transpiration.
The phylloclade takes over all the functions of leaves, particularly photosynthesis. The phylloclade is also called as cladophyll. Example: Opuntia, Phyllocactus, Muehlenbeckia (flattened phylloclade) Casuarina, Euphorbia tirucalli, Euphorbia antiquorum (cylindrical phylloclade) . (a) (b) Figure .
: (a) Phylloclade- Opuntia (b) Cladode- Asparagus Spine Scaly leaf Cladode Phylloclade . Cladode Cladode is a flattened or cylindrical stem similar to Phylloclade but with one or two . Trailers (Stragglers) It is a weak stem that spreads over the surface of the ground without rooting at nodes. They are divided into types, i.
Prostrate (Procumbent): A stem that grows flat on the ground. Example: Indigofera prostrata. ii. Decumbent: A stem that grows flat but becomes erect during reproductive stage.
Example: Tridax. iii. Diffuse: A trailing stem with spreading branches. Example: Boerhavia diffusa.
. Climbers These plants have long weak stem and produce special organs for attachment for climbing over a support. Climbing helps to display the leaves towards sunlight and to position the flower for effective pollination. i.
Root climbers Plants climbing with the help of adventitious roots (arising from nodes) as in species of Piper betel, Piper nigrum, Pothos. ii. Stem climbers (Twiners) These climbers lack specialised structure for climbing and the stem itself coils around the support. Example: Ipomoea, Clitoria, Quisqualis.
Stem climbers may coil around the support either clockwise or anti-clockwise. Clockwise coiling climbers are called dextrose. Example: Dioscorea alata . Anti-clockwise coiling climbers are called sinistrose.
Example: Dioscorea bulbifera . iii. Hook climbers These plants produce specialized hook like structures which are the modification of various organs of the plant. In Artabotrys inflorescence axis is modified into hook.
In Calamus (curved hook) leaf tip is