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TRIPLE TROUBLE
I was wondering if it was normal for a plant to sprout three leaves instead of the usual two? This is the first time it’s ever happened, and I don’t know whether to keep it or toss it onto the compost heap. Any advice?
Vash
Dear Vash,
Your plant is a trifoliate, meaning it suffers from a deformity or mutation in which three cotyledons emerge from the first node instead of the usual two. This condition usually only affects plants in the earliest stages of life, and they tend to discontinue the weird behavior as they mature (i.e., after the fifth set of nodes or so). Keep in mind, however, that trifoliate plants or those with whorled phyllotaxy tend to exhibit more hermaphroditic behavior and are also much more likely to turn out to be males when flowered. Best to get rid of it; the benefits don’t outweigh the hassles.
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