Acacia trees (in the bean family) have spines made of modified leaf stipules. There are also plants whose entire leaves have been converted into spines, as is the case with cacti.
Modifications of Leaves (Explained With Diagram)
- Storage Leaves: Some plants of xerophytic habitats and members of the family Crassulaceae generally have highly thickened and succulent leaves with water storage tissue.
- Leaf Tendrils:
- Leaf-spines:
- Scale-leaves:
- Leaflet Hooks:
- Leaf Roots:
- Phyllode:
- Insect Catching Leaves:
| Modification | Definition | Example |
|---|
| 1) Tendrils | The leaves are modified into slender wiry and coiled structures called leaf tendrils and support climbers to climb | Pisum Sativum |
| 2) Spines | The leaves modified into a pointed structure and usually protect them from herbivores. | Opuntia |
Thorns are the modified axillary buds of the stem. Thorns are found in citrus plants.
Thorns are modified stem structure. They are stiff sharp structures which have lost their growing point and become hard. So the correct option is "Stem".
Phyllode is a modified petiole or shoots connecting stem and leaf. Examples of Phyllode include Acacia.
Leaves have two main parts: The leaf blade and the Stalk or the petiole. The leaf blade: It is also called the lamina. It's generally broad and flat. It is in this layer that photosynthesis occurs.
The Cactus plant is native to arid and semi-arid regions. It is distinguished by its 'spines' which are the modified versions of its leaves. Its leaves are modified to extremely small-sized spines to minimize the surface area from which water can be lost.
The petiole is a stalk that connects the blade with the leaf base.
Cacti have adapted by being leafless and growing spines but not thorns. There is a big difference between the two. Thorns are a type of stem while spines are a form of leaf modification. Spines provide a microclimate for cactus by shading the rounded or ribbed stems from the blazing sun of their desert habitat.
The waxy covering on plant leaves, young stems, and fruit is called the "cuticle". The purpose of this covering is to help the plant retain water. In arid regions, that is very important. In wetter regions, the waxy coating may help prevent infection by disease organisms.
What is the spine? Your spine, or backbone, is your body's central support structure. It connects different parts of your musculoskeletal system. Your spine helps you sit, stand, walk, twist and bend. Back injuries, spinal cord conditions and other problems can damage the spine and cause back pain.
Leaves are classified as either alternate, spiral, opposite, or whorled. Plants that have only one leaf per node have leaves that are said to be either alternate or spiral. Alternate leaves alternate on each side of the stem in a flat plane, and spiral leaves are arranged in a spiral along the stem.
There are two different types of leaves – simples leaves and compound leaves. The other types of leaves include acicular, linear, lanceolate, orbicular, elliptical, oblique, centric cordate, etc. They perform the function of photosynthesis and help in the removal of excess water from the aerial parts of the plant.
The leaf is a thin, broad, flat and green part of a plant which is attached to the stem or branch. A plant has large number of leaves.
CONTENTS
- Photosynthesis.
- Transpiration.
- Guttation.
- Storage.
- Defense.
All leaves have the same basic structure - a midrib, an edge, veins and a petiole. The main function of a leaf is to carry out photosynthesis, which provides the plant with the food it needs to survive. Plants provide food for all life on the planet.
Some examples of such seeds include those of wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, barley, peanut, soybean, lentil, common pea, common bean, coconut, walnut, pecan, and sunflower. Many other seeds are eaten with their fruits, although it is generally the encasing fruit walls that are the sought-after source of nutrition.
Plants typically have six basic parts: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds.
1 : one of the usually flat green parts that grow from a plant stem and that functions mainly in making food by photosynthesis. 2 : foliage The trees are in full leaf.
The functions of Leaf spines: They help to reduce the loss of water by transpiration. They also help to protect the plant from the grazing animals, e.g. Cactus, Mexican poppy.
The hairs and spines that grow on desert plants help reduce moisture loss by breaking the effects of the wind. They also help to cast small shadows on other desert plants, which can protect them from the sun. The hairs and spines can even serve to reflect the sun's rays away from plants because of their shininess.
Note: Runner is a type of subaerial stem modification usually found in the grasses and given examples as spider grass, peppermint, strawberries and Bermuda grass. Modified plants such as underground stems that derived from the stem tissues under the soil surface.
