Anisophylly means “unequal leaves” & refers to the production of unequal leaves continuously & concurrently (not a growth stage). Maples (this is Acer rubrum) produce a pair of leaves at each node, but one leaf has a longer stalk than the other. #Sapindaceae #anisophylly #Acer #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Here’s another case of anisophylly that might be familiar to many of you: the unequal leaves in Tribulus cistoides, a common weed in warm climates. At each node, the leaves are unequal (& the larger leaf alternates sides at sequential nodes) #Zygophyllaceae #anisophylly #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

This is Anisophyllea disticha (#Anisophylleaceae), which is perfectly described by the scientific name. Note the larger distichous leaves & the tiny leaves appressed to the stems. This tree is from Malesia. 📷: Cerlin Ng CCBYNCSA2 #anisophylly #TropicalBotany #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Is this peak anisophylly? This is Anisophyllea disticha (#Anisophylleaceae), which is just as it's described by the scientific name. Note the larger distichous leaves & the tiny, paler leaves appressed to the stems. This is a tree from Malesia. #anisophylly #TropicalBotany #botany 🧪🌾

A special case of #heterophylly is #anisophylly. Anisophylly means “unequal leaves.” We use this word to refer to plants that produce unequal leaves continuously and concurrently (not environmentally induced). 📷: unequal pinnate, opposite leaves in Tribulus cistoides #Zygophyllaceae #botany 🌱🧪🌾

Many species of Selaginella (#Selaginellaceae) have two kinds of leaves (microphylls): Spreading, distichously arranged leaves and a second kind of leaf appressed to the stem. This is Selaginella picta. Classic #anisophylly! #TropicalBotany #Botany 🌾🧪🌱

Many species of Selaginella (#Selaginellaceae) have two kinds of leaves (microphylls): Spreading, distichously arranged leaves and a second kind of leaf appressed to the stem. This is Selaginella willdenowii. Classic #anisophylly! #TropicalBotany #botany 🌱🧪🌾

Congrats to NYBG’s Fabián Michelangeli, graduate fellow Kate Samra & team on their new paper showing that anisophylly in Triolena species is linked to thermally stable and wet climactic conditions, rather than canopy-driven! 📄 --> onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... 🌿🌧️🌡️ #NYBGscience

I was recently in the Peruvian Andes, where I ran into this plant, a species of Phenax (not sure which one). Note the smaller leaves above the stem & the larger leaves that hang below the stem. #anisophylly #Urticaceae #Botany #TropicalBotany 🌾🧪🌱

If you live where maples grow, check out their leaves (before they fall). The pair of leaves at each node always has one leaf with a shorter petiole than the other leaf. This is Acer rubrum. I wonder if all Acer species do this. 🤔 #Sapindaceae #anisophylly #maple #Acer #botany 🌱🧪🌾

Anisophylly is a subset of heterophylly. And in Acer the inequality occurs between paired leaves a a single node.

I may be wrong, but this I have always called "heterophylly", and saved "anisophylly" for the particular case in which systematic inequality occurs among paired leaves within the same node (e.g., in some Gesneriaceae). I'll check later.

New paper in @biotropica.bsky.social using @gbif.org mediated data:

Anisophylly Is Associated With Climate in the Neotropical Genus Triolena (Melastomataceae)

#CiteTheDOI: ❌

https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.70041