A seedling of the golden wattle,Acacia pycnantha,from Australia,growing on the site of a fire which all but destroyed the surrounding woodland just six months previously. The single,waxy- looking 'leaf' in the centre is not in fact a true leaf,such as those surrounding it,but a flattened leaf stalk (petiole) called a phyllode. The seedling puts out the true leaves early in its development but following a phase change which occurs as it matures only phyllodes are formed (note however that adults of other species of wattle may have a mixture of leaves & phyllodes or even just leaves). Phyllodes are a common Australian leaf modification for conserving water | |
Lizenzart: | Lizenzpflichtig |
Credit: | Science Photo Library / Burgess, Dr. Jeremy |
Bildgröße: | 3355 px × 5042 px |
Modell-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Eigentums-Rechte: | nicht erforderlich |
Restrictions: | - |