A modified stem or branch of a plant that looks like and functions as a leaf, often seen in cacti and asparagus ferns.
From Greek 'klados' (branch) and the Greek suffix '-ode' (form/resemblance), literally meaning 'branch-form.' The term describes plant structures that evolved to replace true leaves in certain species.
Many cacti don't actually have true leaves—their flattened green 'pads' are cladodes that perform photosynthesis while their real leaves have shrunk to spines for desert survival, a brilliant adaptation to extreme heat and dryness.
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