Phyllode
/ˈfɪl.oʊd/noun
A flattened leaf stalk that takes on the function of a leaf blade.
Did you know?Phyllode comes from Greek phyllon (“leaf”) plus -odes (“resembling”), so the word literally describes a plant part that is not a leaf at all but a leaf impersonator.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
phyllon
“leaf”
Ancient Greek
Greek
-ōdēs
“resembling, like”
19th Century
English
phyllode
“a leaf-like structure, especially a flattened leaf stalk functioning as a leaf”
Modern English
English
phyllode
“a flattened petiole that performs the work of a leaf blade”
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