Okay, after partaking in two different threads this week about both fasciation and whorled phyllotaxy, and noticing much confusion, I decided to make a post trying to demystify 4 different cannabis mutations:
- Whorled phyllotaxy
- Trifoliation
- Fasciation
- Polyploidy
Whorled Phyllotaxy
This mutation is visibly discernible from the rest due to there being three leaves at every node (and sometimes 3 secondary branches). It is very commonly, and incorrectly called trifoliation in the cannabis community. Trifoliation is not really a mutation in cannabis. Trifoliation refers to a single leaf having 3 leaflets (fingers). So, pretty much everyone that has grown cannabis before has seen a trifoliate leaf in the early stages of vegetative growth. Whorled phyllotaxy is different, in that there are at least 3 leaves (and petioles connecting them to a stem). An example looks like (courtesy of @FishnRice):
Trifoliation
As noted above, this is just referring to the amount of leaflets - not leaves. A good example of trifoliation is clover. It has a single petiole containing a leaf of 3 leaflets (in most cases).
Fasciation
This mutation describes a change in the plant’s meristem where it grows wide and flat, and looks kind of like celery. It often produces crested flowers that appear more wide. It can be caused by a number of issues, including genetics, pathogens, and environment. Here is a nice example (courtesy of @defharo). Notice the flat stem and the wide crested buds:
Polyploidy
This is strictly a genetic deformation where the plant’s cells have more than two sets of chromosomes. It needs to be lab tested to know for sure. For us home growers, we can ignore this, as it may not even look any different. It is used in some breeding programs to add variation to offspring. It may look different, but it may not.
This is just a short description of four different mutations that are often confused with each other. Of particular note is whorled phyllotaxy, which is very often confused with both trifoliation and polyploidy. I hope this sheds some light. I tried to keep it short and understandable. I have a habit of getting too technical sometimes. Let me know if anything is unclear.
