Whorled
/WORLD/🍃 Leaf Shapes●● Intermediate
Also known as: whorled leaves, verticillate
A phyllotactic pattern where three or more leaves radiate from the same node, forming a ring around the stem. Whorled arrangement is less common than alternate or opposite and is found in plants like Galium (bedstraw), Nerium (oleander), and some lilies. The number of leaves per whorl can be a useful identification feature.
Etymology
Middle English whorle (spinning wheel flywheel)
Example
“Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) has distinctive whorls of 6–8 leaves at each node.”