Strange leaf on honey locust

[Joe Dupre']

Ok, this is a new one on me. I pruned my honey locust a few days ago and today I noticed a couple of strange leaves that just didn't belong. The one that caught my eye is about in the center of the pic. The other is in the top, left hand corner. No way they look anything like honey locust leaves.

 

[penumbra]

Bizarre

 

[TN_Jim]

magic beans!

 

[Joe Dupre']

Somebody did a little cross-species polinating. Kinky.

 

[nuttiest]

amazing what a little cut paste can do

 

[penumbra]

I'll be watching this one in hopes that someone has a clue.

 

[Shibui]

Clearly it is honey locust and clearly the leaves are part of the tree.
I have not seen it happen because I don't do much with honey locust but my best guess is something like juvenile foliage? Reversion to juvenile is common after pruning many species and this may be Honey locust response to pruning.
I'll be interested to see if it stops and ordinary leaves return or if it persists for some time.

 

[Crazy Diamond]

Clearly it is honey locust and clearly the leaves are part of the tree.
I have not seen it happen because I don't do much with honey locust but my best guess is something like juvenile foliage? Reversion to juvenile is common after pruning many species and this may be Honey locust response to pruning.
I'll be interested to see if it stops and ordinary leaves return or if it persists for some time.

No, Honey locust dont have juvenile simple leafs or Phyllodes, Australian Acacias for example have compound leafs when young and then other structures called Phyllodes, in the Honey locust its probably just a malformed leaf, one of my Siberian elms for example make strange leafs with double apex

Phyllodes in Australian acacia


Strange leafs in my Siberian elm

 

[ShadyStump]

Honey locust is a very common yard tree here, and I've come across this before on some. I believe it's just a malformed leaf.
It might be an interesting experiment to try snipping them and growing them out from cuttings to see if any new foliage comes out normal or similarly misshapen. Could yield some answers as to how and why this bit is so different.

 

[Shibui]

No, Honey locust dont have juvenile simple leafs or Phyllodes, Australian Acacias for example have compound leafs when young and then other structures called Phyllodes, in the Honey locust its probably just a malformed leaf, one of my Siberian elms for example make strange leafs with double apex

I am aware that acacias have ferny juvenile growth and many have mature phylodes. I am also aware that Honey locust don't start with different juvenile leaf shape so it is less likely that flat leaves are juvenile in that way. My proposal was just an intuitive stab because of lack of experience with these though I have grown a few for landscape and farm plants.
More than happy with your malformed leaves theory but even that does not explain why they form this way after pruning.
I'll keep watching for any other theories and more observations that may shed some light.