#spinescence

[alithographica]

“Every rose has its prickle” just doesn’t have the same impact though

Patreon | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | deviantArt

Spinescence

Though the words are often used interchangeably, thorns, spines, and prickles are botanically distinct structures. They are labeled based on which part of the plant they originate from.

Thorns are modified stems or branches. Like stems, they are still connected to the plant’s vascular system—its circulatory system. In some plants, leaves can still grow off of a thorn as if it were a normal stem.

Spines are modified leaves or leaf parts. Like thorns, they are usually connected to the plant’s vascular system. The spine may take the place of the stipules (small growth at the base of the leaf) or the entire leaf itself.

Prickles are extensions of the surface of the plant: the cortex and epidermis. They are recognizable because they can grow anywhere on the plant, from stems to leaves to fruits and even roots.

[ianart]

The Thorny Truth About Spine Evolution | Quanta Magazine

A definitive explanation for why plants evolved spines remains elusive, and human biases compound the problem.

SO maybe thorns and spines on plants aren’t meant to impale and deter large feeding mammals, but are actually more like traffic cones or caltrops, meant to slow the movement of feeding insects across the plant’s surface.

Favorite string of words from critic:  “I’m not sure that we can conclude from their results that spinescence is an adaptation against insect herbivory,”