Cladophyll (Noun)
Meaning
A flattened stem resembling and functioning as a leaf.
Classification
Nouns denoting plants.
Examples
- The succulent plants had evolved cladophylls that could store water, allowing them to survive in the arid desert climate.
- In the species of Phyllocactus, the cladophylls were jointed at the nodes, giving them a characteristic appearance.
- The flattened stem of the opuntia cactus was actually a cladophyll, adapted to replace the function of leaves in photosynthesis.
- As he studied the cross-sections, the botanist noted that the cladophylls of the Ruscus plant showed distinct xylem and phloem regions.
- The epiphytic Tillandsia plants used their cladophylls to absorb moisture and nutrients from the air, having no roots of their own.