Phylloclade

Phylloclades and cladodes are flattened, photosynthetic shoots, which are usually considered to be modified branches.

[1] The term "phylloclade" is from the Neo-Latin phyllocladium, itself derived from Greek phyllo, leaf, and klados, branch.

In one definition, phylloclades are a subset of cladodes, namely those that greatly resemble or perform the function of leaves,[2] as in Butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus) as well as Phyllanthus and some Asparagus species.

By an alternative definition, cladodes are distinguished by their limited growth and that they involve only one or two internodes.

For example, Hirayama et al. (2007) showed that the phylloclade of Ruscus aculeatus "is not homologous to either the shoot or the leaf, but that it has a double organ identity," which means that it combines shoot and leaf processes.