Phylloclade

Phylloclades and cladodes are flattened, photosynthetic shoots, which are usually considered to be modified branches. The two terms are used either differently or interchangeably by different authors. Phyllocladus, a genus of conifer, is named after these structures. Phylloclades/cladodes have been identified in fossils dating from as early as the Permian.

Definition and morphology

The term "phylloclade" is from the New Latin phyllocladium, itself derived from Greek phyllo, leaf, and klados, branch.

Definitions of the terms "phylloclade" and "cladode" vary. All agree that they are flattened structures that are photosynthetic and resemble leaf-like branches. In one definition, phylloclades are a subset of cladodes, namely those that greatly resemble or perform the function of leaves, as in Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) as well as Phyllanthus and some Asparagus species.

By an alternative definition, cladodes are distinguished by their limited growth and that they involve only one or two internodes. By this definition, some of the most leaf-like structures are cladodes, rather than phylloclades. By that definition, Phyllanthus has phylloclades, but Ruscus and Asparagus have cladodes.