Did my #RyeMeads @rspb.bsky.social #WednesdayWander a walk I guide managed to use a favourite word of mine
Heterophylly
is often witnessed in holly trees, where some leaves are prickly, a defense against herbivores, while others are non-prickly, with smooth margins and no defense at browse height
Heterophylly
is often witnessed in holly trees, where some leaves are prickly, a defense against herbivores, while others are non-prickly, with smooth margins and no defense at browse height
November 13, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Did my #RyeMeads @rspb.bsky.social #WednesdayWander a walk I guide managed to use a favourite word of mine
Heterophylly
is often witnessed in holly trees, where some leaves are prickly, a defense against herbivores, while others are non-prickly, with smooth margins and no defense at browse height
Heterophylly
is often witnessed in holly trees, where some leaves are prickly, a defense against herbivores, while others are non-prickly, with smooth margins and no defense at browse height
Anisophylly is a subset of heterophylly. And in Acer the inequality occurs between paired leaves a a single node.
October 27, 2025 at 12:43 PM
Anisophylly is a subset of heterophylly. And in Acer the inequality occurs between paired leaves a a single node.
I may be wrong, but this I have always called "heterophylly", and saved "anisophylly" for the particular case in which systematic inequality occurs among paired leaves within the same node (e.g., in some Gesneriaceae). I'll check later.
October 27, 2025 at 12:31 PM
I may be wrong, but this I have always called "heterophylly", and saved "anisophylly" for the particular case in which systematic inequality occurs among paired leaves within the same node (e.g., in some Gesneriaceae). I'll check later.
Heterophylly for the win!
August 4, 2025 at 2:42 AM
Heterophylly for the win!
Yes interesting. From a glance it looks like heterophylly which is when a plant makes two different leaf types- can be response to environmental change (one leaf type being favoured under certain conditions and another under different ones); more common in different developmental stages (eucalyptus)
April 12, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Yes interesting. From a glance it looks like heterophylly which is when a plant makes two different leaf types- can be response to environmental change (one leaf type being favoured under certain conditions and another under different ones); more common in different developmental stages (eucalyptus)
Heterophylly in Lonicera japonica: oak-leaf-shaped, lobed leaves on the same stem as normal ovate ones
April 8, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Heterophylly in Lonicera japonica: oak-leaf-shaped, lobed leaves on the same stem as normal ovate ones
Just found some new prickly leaves on my new Eagleston holly tree. It's amazing to see heterophylly in action—nature's defenses right in my backyard. 🌿✨ Can't wait to see how it grows!
November 15, 2024 at 11:09 PM
Just found some new prickly leaves on my new Eagleston holly tree. It's amazing to see heterophylly in action—nature's defenses right in my backyard. 🌿✨ Can't wait to see how it grows!
A special case of #heterophylly is #anisophylly. Anisophylly means “unequal leaves.” We use this word to refer to plants that produce unequal leaves continuously and concurrently (not environmentally induced). 📷: unequal pinnate, opposite leaves in Tribulus cistoides #Zygophyllaceae #botany 🌱🧪🌾
October 23, 2024 at 11:08 AM
A special case of #heterophylly is #anisophylly. Anisophylly means “unequal leaves.” We use this word to refer to plants that produce unequal leaves continuously and concurrently (not environmentally induced). 📷: unequal pinnate, opposite leaves in Tribulus cistoides #Zygophyllaceae #botany 🌱🧪🌾
A different kind of environmentally induced #heterophylly: These are sun & shade leaves from a single Quercus shumardii (#Fagaceae). Three leaves from the sunny, upper canopy have deep divisions & narrow lobes; two from the lower, shady part of the canopy are on the right. #Botany 🌱🧪🌾
October 22, 2024 at 4:49 PM
A different kind of environmentally induced #heterophylly: These are sun & shade leaves from a single Quercus shumardii (#Fagaceae). Three leaves from the sunny, upper canopy have deep divisions & narrow lobes; two from the lower, shady part of the canopy are on the right. #Botany 🌱🧪🌾
In this photo of Rorippa aquatica (#Brassicaceae) by John Boldt (CCBYNC4) you can see that the water level has dropped, revealing the highly divided, previously submerged leaves below the elliptical, aerial leaves. This is a classic case of heterophylly. #heterophylly #botany 🌱🧪🌾
October 22, 2024 at 11:05 AM
In this photo of Rorippa aquatica (#Brassicaceae) by John Boldt (CCBYNC4) you can see that the water level has dropped, revealing the highly divided, previously submerged leaves below the elliptical, aerial leaves. This is a classic case of heterophylly. #heterophylly #botany 🌱🧪🌾
Emergent aquatic (i.e. amphibious) plants are well-studied examples of heterophylly. The aptly named Callitriche heterophylla (#Plantaginaceae) has fine, narrow, submerged leaves & ovate aerial (floating) leaves. 📷: Andrey Zharkikh CCBY2 #heterophylly #botany🌱🧪🌾
October 21, 2024 at 4:06 PM
Emergent aquatic (i.e. amphibious) plants are well-studied examples of heterophylly. The aptly named Callitriche heterophylla (#Plantaginaceae) has fine, narrow, submerged leaves & ovate aerial (floating) leaves. 📷: Andrey Zharkikh CCBY2 #heterophylly #botany🌱🧪🌾
Last week was heteroblasty, but this week I’m looking at a related concept: #heterophylly. Heterophylly is concurrent variation in leaf form, often in response to very different environments (amphibious plants). 📷: Ludwigia arcuata. Sean Patton CCBYN4 #Onagraceae #Botany 🌱🧪🌾
October 21, 2024 at 1:47 PM
Last week was heteroblasty, but this week I’m looking at a related concept: #heterophylly. Heterophylly is concurrent variation in leaf form, often in response to very different environments (amphibious plants). 📷: Ludwigia arcuata. Sean Patton CCBYN4 #Onagraceae #Botany 🌱🧪🌾
Molecular mechanisms of heterophylly in Rorippa aquatica (hint: KNOX1/ GA) <a href="http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2014/12/16/tpc.114.130229.abstract" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2014/12/16/tpc.114.130229.abstract
December 18, 2014 at 9:08 AM
Molecular mechanisms of heterophylly in Rorippa aquatica (hint: KNOX1/ GA) <a href="http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2014/12/16/tpc.114.130229.abstract" class="hover:underline text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400 no-card-link" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-link="bsky">http://www.plantcell.org/content/early/2014/12/16/tpc.114.130229.abstract