Autophyllogeny

/ˌɔːtəfɪˈlɑːdʒəni/ noun

Definition

The process by which a plant generates or produces its own leaves, or the study of how leaf structures develop from within the plant itself.

Etymology

From Greek 'auto-' (self), 'phyllo-' (leaf), and 'geny' (origin, production). This botanical term is rarely used in modern science but reflects 19th-century terminology.

Kelly Says

Plants are basically leaf-making machines—autophyllogeny captures how a single seed contains the blueprint to endlessly generate new leaves throughout its life, which is pretty amazing when you think about it!

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