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Mimicry
Boquila trifoliolata is a unique species of plant because of its ability to mimic its leaves to the leaves of the hosts that are supporting them, a phenomenon called mimetic polymorphism. The B. trifoliolata adapted their climbing behavior as a protection from ground herbivores and the mimicry behavior as a protection against leaf herbivores. B. trifoliolata'' is distinct in comparison to other plants that can mimic, like the Australian Mistletoe, because it is not limited to mimicking a single host and is non-parasitic to the host tree. Leaf variegation is another example of mimicry; white mottling on the leaves mimics leaf damage caused by feeding larvae and may discourage future herbivores from feeding or ovipositing on a seemingly already attacked leaf. An individual B. trifoliolata vine can mimic multiple foliage closest in proximity to it.

Research
This mimicking behavior was discovered by researchers Ernesto Gianoli and Fernando Carrasco-Urra. They carried out observations and measurements in a rainforest located at Puyehue National Park in southern Chile. 12 different species of host trees were sampled with 45 total individual B. trifoliolata vines that had climbed these trees. The two closest leaves in proximity between a pair of the 45 vine-trees were measured, 11 different traits in total: angle, thickness, petiole length, leaflet petiole length, leaflet angle, maximum width, maximum length, area, perimeter, area/perimeter, and color. Usage of a generalized linear model showed that B. trifoliolata leaf phenotype had significant association with 9 of the 11 leaf traits, traits such as leaf angle, perimeter, area, color, and leaflet petiole length, of its host tree.

Gianoli and Carrasco-Urra also sampled individuals that were prostrated, grew on leafless tree trunks, and individuals that climbed on the 8 most common host species. To analyze these samples, the researchers used multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). They found that the prostrate individuals did not differ from the leafless-host vines, but were different for 7 of the 8 common-host vine leaves. They also concluded that plants growing on the leafless-host vines were different than those growing on leafed-hosts. Their results show that when there is no leaf to mimic, the climbing plants do not differ from plants growing unsupported.

Gianoli and Carraso-Urra indicate that leaf mimicry led to lower leaf herbivory rates. Climbing vines had no difference in herbivory compared to supporting host tree leaves but had much lower herbivory compared to prostrated, unsupported B. trifoliolata individuals. The highest amount of herbivory was on B. trifoliolata vines that climbed onto leafless hosts.

Mechanism
Currently, there is no known mechanism explaining how B. trifoliolata is able to mimic host leaves so effectively, but Gianoli and Carrasco-Urra propose two possible mechanisms. One hypothesis is that volatile organic compounds emitted from the host plant induce phenotypic change in nearby B. trifoliolata leaves. Reception of host volatiles into the B. trifoliolata system could allow the plant to create specific signals and hormones in its tissues to regulate gene transcription and developmental pathways for leaf differentiation. Research on plant-plant signaling has not shown morphological changes in leaves as a result of volatiles but similar studies show volatile responses like increased expression of defense-related genes and changes to plant transcriptome.

The other hypothesis is that there could be horizontal gene transfer between the host and B. trifoliolata. The plants themselves could be exchanging genetic material, possibly through contact or plant-plant parasitism, or a transfer is conducted by a vector.

The Australian mistletoe is considered a hemiparasite with physiological connection to its host tree. It typically has association with only one or two hosts which allows for long term evolutionary processes between the plants. The mistletoe shows very little phenotypic differentiation from its specific hosts as a result. The B. trifoliolata though only climbs its host trees and is therefore able to mimic several host trees simultaneously and have phenotypic association with multiple hosts The observed phenotypic plasticity of the plant could be supported by horizontal gene transfer over time. Though this hypothesis is less plausible, it is supported by the observation that B. trifoliolata mimics the leaves closest to it, regardless of if they belong to a host B. trifoliolata has climbed or has physical contact with.