Question

What is the meaning of heterophylly?

Answer 1

Heterophylly:

1. Heterophylly refers to the different shapes of leaves present at different stages of life or in different environmental conditions.
2. Heterophylly is of three types: Habitual heterophylly, Developmental heterophylly, and Environmental heterophylly.
3. Habitual heterophylly: The leaves are borne in different shapes on different parts of the plant. An example is an herb in Eastern India where the stem has ovate leaves and the branch has acicular leaves.
4. Developmental heterophylly: The leaves arise in different periods of growth. Examples are cotton and coriander where the plant has different leaves in the juvenile stage and mature stage.
5. Environmental heterophylly: This heterophylly is found in aquatics. An example is a buttercup where the aerial leaves and floating leaves are different