Tendril of a Plant

plant organ specialized to anchor and support vining stems. Tendrils may be modified leaves, leaflets, leaf tips, or leaf stipules; they may, however, be derived as modified stem branches as like this grape from my kitchen. Other special plant structures fulfill a similar function, but the tendril is distinctive in being a specialized lateral organ strongly possessing a twining tendency causing it to encircle any object encountered. A tendril is a slender whiplike or threadlike strand, produced usually from the node of a stem, by which a vine or other plant may climb. Its anatomy may be of stem tissue or of leafstalk tissue.