noun
- a flattened stem that resembles and functions as a leaf
Usage: botanical
Examples
- The prickly pear cactus has cladodes instead of true leaves.
- Cladodes perform photosynthesis like regular leaves do.
- The flat, green segments of the cactus are actually cladodes.
- Botanists can distinguish cladodes from leaves by their structure.
- Many desert plants develop cladodes as an adaptation to dry conditions.
- The cladode bears flowers and fruits along its edges.