Knowra Tendril Tendril A tendril is a slender plant structure that coils around supports, anchoring a climbing plant. It may arise from a stem, leaf, leaflet, or flower stalk.
Thigmotropism : Directional plant growth in response to contact with a solid object. Contact with a support can trigger the bending that brings a tendril into position to coil.
Plant stem : The plant axis that supports leaves and reproductive structures and transports water, minerals, and sugars. Some tendrils are modified stems or branches rather than modified leaves.
Grape : A woody climbing vine in the genus Vitis, cultivated for its fruit and leaves. Grapevines use tendrils to attach new growth to trellises and other supports.
Twining plant : A climbing plant whose stem winds around a support as it grows. Twining plants wrap their stems around supports, whereas tendrils are separate specialized organs.
Circumnutation : A plant organ’s repeated, self-generated sweeping movement around a changing axis. A tendril’s sweeping motion increases its chance of encountering a nearby support.
Leaf : A plant organ specialized for light capture and gas exchange, usually attached to a stem. In several climbing plants, a leaf or part of a leaf becomes a tendril.
Pea : A climbing legume whose compound leaves bear terminal tendrils. Peas illustrate how tendrils can arise from modified leaflets and help stems climb.
Adventitious root : A root that develops from a plant part other than the primary root system. Some climbers adhere using roots, which attach differently from tendrils that coil around supports.
Coiling : The formation of a spiral or helix by a flexible structure. After contacting a support, a tendril coils to secure the climbing shoot.
Leaflet : One of the separate blade-like units of a compound leaf. In plants such as pea, leaflets can be modified into tendrils.
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