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Prickles on a blackberry branch. In plant morphology, thorns, spines, and prickles, and in general spinose structures (sometimes called spinose teeth or spinose apical processes), are hard, rigid extensions or modifications of leaves, roots, stems, or buds with sharp, stiff ends, and generally serve the same function: physically defending plants against herbivory.
Prickles and thorns are an evolved defense against herbivores — animals that eat plants — and can also aid in growth, plant competition and water retention, according to the study. It was ...
The spines are the relatively large, radiating organs; the glochids are the fine prickles in the centres of the bunches. Glochids ( Opuntia microdasys monstrose ) Glochids or glochidia ( sg. : "glochidium") are hair-like spines or short prickles, generally barbed, found on the areoles of cacti in the sub-family Opuntioideae .
The homology of leaves is an easy conclusion to make. The plant morphologist goes further, and discovers that the spines of cactus also share the same basic structure and development as leaves in other plants, and therefore cactus spines are homologous to leaves as well.
Prickles, thorns and spines are all modified plant tissues that have evolved to prevent or limit herbivory, these structures have evolved independently a number of times. [215] Stimulant toxins: plants which are only distantly related to each other, such as coffee and tea, produce caffeine to deter predators. [216]
For example, the article says that spines are derived from leaves, but none of the four sources I listed at User:Peter coxhead/Work page#Spines vs. thorns restrict the term to leaf-derived structures. Also, the use of spinosus as an epithet is relevant; many plants with such names have what the article calls "thorns", e.g. Prunus spinosa.
Plants have also developed sharp structures, such as thorns, spines, and prickles, as defensive mechanisms to deter herbivores. These structures, found in species like cacti and roses, have pointed, sometimes serrated edges to maximize damage while requiring minimal energy to maintain.
The terms emergences or prickles refer to outgrowths that involve more ... This is why planting out may cause plants to wilt. ... Thorns, spines, and prickles ...