Deciduous

  • Title

    Deciduous

  • Definition

    A process in which certain structures of a plant, e.g., leaves, fall in response to enviromental changes.

  • Notes

    The best example is leaf fall of most of the species in deciduous forests of the northeastern United states in response to the cold weather of winter. Plants also respond to drry weather; for example, the trees of the caatinga vegetation of northeastern Brazil possess leaves in the limited rainy season but usually do not have them in the dry season.

  • Related Terms

    Evergreen

    Leaf flush

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