![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Athrotaxis_laxifolia_cone.jpg/640px-Athrotaxis_laxifolia_cone.jpg&w=640&q=50)
Cataphyll
In plants, a reduced, small leaf / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In plant morphology, a cataphyll (sometimes also called a cataphyllum[1] or cataphyll leaf[2]) is a reduced, small leaf.[3] Many plants have both "true leaves" (euphylls), which perform most of the photosynthesis, and cataphylls, which are modified to perform other functions.[4]
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2016) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/Athrotaxis_laxifolia_cone.jpg/640px-Athrotaxis_laxifolia_cone.jpg)
Cataphylls include bracts, bracteoles and bud scales, as well as any small leaves that resemble scales, known as scale leaves.[5] The functions of cataphylls, such as bud scales, may be short-lived, and they are often shed after their function is fulfilled.[6]