Cladoptosis (Ancient Greek "branch", "falling" noun; sometimes pronounced with the p silent) is the regular shedding of .
Functions of cladoptosis
Cladoptosis is thought to have four possible functions: self-pruning (i.e. programmed
plant senescence), drought response (characteristic of
)
liana defence, and in some plant families, normal leaf drop is by shedding small whole shoots, rather than individual leaves.
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Self-pruning is the shedding of branches that are shaded or diseased, which are potentially a drain on the resources of the tree.
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Drought response is similar to the leaf-fall response of drought-deciduous trees; however, leafy shoots are shed in place of leaves.
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In tropical forests, infestation of tree canopies by woody climbers or can be a serious problem. Cladoptosis, by giving a clean bole with no support for climbing plants, may be an adaptation against lianas, as in the case of Castilla.
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In the conifer family Cupressaceae, most species shed old foliage by cladoptosis, rather than individual leaf drop. Dawn redwood ( Metasequoia glyptostroboides) and western redcedar ( Thuja plicata) provide examples; within the family, the only species that do not use cladoptosis for shedding old foliage are the junipers ( ) in sections Juniperus sect. Caryocedrus and J. sect. Juniperus.
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