Phyllode

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Phyllodes are modified petioles or leaf stems, which are leaf-like in appearance and function. [1] In some plants, these become flattened and widened, while the leaf itself becomes reduced or vanishes altogether. Thus the phyllode comes to serve the purpose of the leaf. Some important examples are Euphorbia royleana which are cylindrical and Opuntia which are flattened.

Acacia suaveolens (Sm.) Willd. [as Mimosa suaveolens Sm.] La Billardiere (Labillardiere), J.-J. Houton de, Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen, vol. 2: p. 87, t. 236 (1804) (Poiteau) Acacia suaveolens 155867.jpg
Acacia suaveolens (Sm.) Willd. [as Mimosa suaveolens Sm.] La Billardière (Labillardière), J.-J. Houton de, Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen, vol. 2: p. 87, t. 236 (1804) (Poiteau)

They are common in the genus Acacia , especially the Australian species, at one time put in Acacia subg. Phyllodineae. Sometimes, especially on younger plants, partially formed phyllodes bearing reduced leaves can be seen. The illustration (to the right) of Acacia suaveolens from Novae Hollandiae plantarum specimen shows the juvenile true leaves, together with the developing phyllodes, and the phyllodes of the mature plant.

The genus, Daviesia , in the family Fabaceae, is characterised in part by the plants having phyllodes. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petiole (botany)</span> Stalk holding a leaf to its stem

In botany, the petiole is the stalk that attaches the leaf blade to the stem. It is able to twist the leaf to face the sun, producing a characteristic foliage arrangement, and also optimizing its exposure to sunlight. Outgrowths appearing on each side of the petiole in some species are called stipules. The terms petiolate and apetiolate are applied respectively to leaves with and without petioles.

<i>Daviesia</i> Genus of plants

Daviesia, commonly known as bitter-peas, is a genus of about 130 species of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Daviesia are shrubs or small trees with leaves modified as phyllodes or reduced to scales. The flowers are arranged singly or in groups, usually in leaf axils, the sepals joined at the base with five teeth, the petals usually yellowish with reddish markings and the fruit a pod.

<i>Daviesia cordata</i> Species of legume

Daviesia cordata, commonly known as bookleaf, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a slender, erect shrub with scattered egg-shaped phyllodes, and yellow-orange and pinkish-purple flowers.

<i>Daviesia ulicifolia</i> Species of plant

Daviesia ulicifolia, commonly known as gorse bitter-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a rigid, openly-branched shrub with sharply-pointed, narrow elliptic, narrow egg-shaped, rarely egg-shaped phyllodes and usually orange-yellow and dark red flowers.

<i>Acacia lineata</i> Species of legume

Acacia lineataA.Cunn. ex G.Don, commonly known as streaked wattle or narrow lined-leaved wattle, occurs naturally inland eastern Australia. The genus Acacia is the largest genus of flowering plants in Australia, containing around 1000 species throughout a diverse range of environments from coast to desert.

<i>Daviesia buxifolia</i> Species of plant

Daviesia buxifolia, commonly known as box-leaf bitter-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is an open shrub with egg-shaped to round phyllodes and yellow or yellowish-orange and maroon-brown flowers.

<i>Daviesia angulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia angulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, spreading shrub with prickly, flattened phyllodes, and yellow flowers with red markings.

<i>Daviesia arenaria</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia arenaria, commonly known as sandhill bitter-pea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is usually a hummock-forming shrub with many short, spiny branchlets and heart-shaped to elliptic phyllodes with a sharp point on the end, and orange-pink, maroon and yellow flowers.

<i>Daviesia argillacea</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia argillacea is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with erect narrow egg-shaped phyllodes with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow to orange and maroon flowers.

<i>Daviesia articulata</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia articulata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rigid, low-lying or erect shrub with scattered, tapering, cylindrical and sharply pointed phyllodes, and yellow and red flowers.

<i>Daviesia asperula</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia asperula is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to South Australia. It is a compact or spreading shrub with often crowded, flattened, tapering or curved, sharply pointed phyllodes, and orange-yellow and red flowers.

Daviesia audax is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect shrub with scattered, erect, thick, rigid, sharply pointed phyllodes, and orange flowers with reddish-brown markings.

Daviesia benthamii is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the west of Western Australia. It is an erect, bushy shrub with scattered, cylindrical, sharply pointed phyllodes, and yellow-orange and reddish-brown flowers.

<i>Daviesia bursarioides</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia bursarioides, commonly known as Three Springs daviesia, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a restricted part of the south-west of Western Australia. It is a straggling shrub with widely-spreading, spiny branches, scattered, flattened phyllodes, and yellow, deep pink and maroon flowers.

<i>Daviesia costata</i> Species of legume

Daviesia costata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a straggling, multi-stemmed shrub with scattered, erect, linear phyllodes, and yellow and dark red flowers.

<i>Daviesia crassa</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia crassa is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a compact, dense, glabrous shrub with densely crowded, thick, club-shaped phyllodes, and uniformly yellow flowers.

<i>Daviesia devito</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia devito is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae, endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a dense, prickly shrub with sharply-pointed phyllodes and yellow, red, greenish and maroon flowers. It was previously known as Daviesia benthamii subsp. humilis until that subspecies was split into two new species.

<i>Daviesia epiphyllum</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia epiphyllum, commonly known as staghorn bush, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rigid, erect, spreading, glabrous shrub with flattened, staghorn-shaped phylloclades with sharply-pointed lobes, and yellowish-red flowers.

<i>Daviesia flava</i> Species of flowering plant

Daviesia flava is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a glabrous shrub with linear or narrowly egg-shaped phyllodes, and uniformly yellow flowers.

<i>Daviesia suaveolens</i> Species of legume

Daviesia suaveolens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales. It is a tree-like shrub or small tree with scattered, narrowly egg-shaped phyllodes with the narrower end towards the base, and yellow flowers, sometimes with faint red markings.

References

  1. PlantNET glossary: P National Herbarium of NSW, Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.
  2. Crisp, M.D (1995). "Contributions towards a revision of Daviesia (Fabaceae: Mirbelieae). III.* A synopsis of the genus". Australian Systematic Botany. 8 (6): 1155. doi:10.1071/SB9951155. ISSN   1030-1887.