leafless
Leafless describes organisms that lack leaves. In botany, leaflessness can be seasonal or permanent. Seasonal leaflessness is common among deciduous trees and shrubs in temperate climates: leaves are shed each autumn to reduce water loss and prepare for winter, leaving bare branches until spring bud break.
Permanent leaflessness occurs in certain non-photosynthetic plants, particularly parasitic and mycoheterotrophic species. These plants may lack
The absence of leaves often corresponds to alternative strategies: reliance on underground or fungal connections, reduced
In everyday language, leafless commonly describes trees in winter or bare branches, but within botany it covers