The 10 Rarest Cannabis Mutations, From Polyploid Plants to Whorled Phyllotaxy

The 10 rarest cannabis mutations

The rarest cannabis mutations include polyploidy, whorled phyllotaxy, ducksfoot leaves, vining growth, buds on leaves, polyembryonic seeds, albinism, the upright phenotype, foxtailing and Australian Bastard Cannabis. Fun fact: humans are often said to share more than 40% of their DNA with cannabis. And we share some common mutations, too. For example, polyploidy and albinism can happen in both people and cannabis.

Put simply, a mutation is a change in an organism's DNA sequence. Every living thing, plants included, has its own DNA and can mutate.

Changes in a DNA sequence happen during cell division, when the cell's DNA machinery makes a mistake it can't fix.

Mutations can happen randomly during cell division, but they can also be induced, for example by exposure to certain chemicals.

In cannabis, a mutation can be beneficial, harmful or go completely unnoticed. Changes in a plant's DNA can affect many things, including its structure, color, leaf shape, germination rate, bud placement, overall yield, photosynthesis and much more.

Polyploidy

This genetic phenomenon happens when a plant has more than two sets of chromosomes. Plants normally carry just two sets and are called diploid, but when there are three, four or more sets, the plant is called polyploid. This mutation shows up in animals and fungi but is more common in plants and algae. In cannabis, you'll notice bigger buds surrounded by a lot more leaves.

Whorled phyllotaxy

“Phyllotaxy” refers to how leaves are arranged on a plant's stem, and a “whorl” is a ring or spiral of leaves around the same point. A normal cannabis plant puts out two leaves at each node. In this case, the mutation produces a plant with three or more leaves at each node. There's also an extra branch at every node, which makes for a bushier plant.

Ducksfoot leaves

This mutation is easy to spot: the leaflets fuse together like a duck's webbed foot instead of splitting into individual fingers. Plants with this recessive mutation are more common among sativas. It has no effect on yield or potency compared with a normal cannabis plant. And when temperatures drop low enough, it can produce gorgeous purple buds.

Vining cannabis

This is a rare mutation found in tropical sativas that grow exceptionally large in humid conditions. It makes the plant pour its energy into the lower branches instead of one big main cola.

Buds on leaves

On a normal cannabis plant, flowers grow at the node, the same spot where the leaf stems (petioles) start. With this mutation, they also form at the base of the leaves.

Polyembryonic seeds

Polyembryonic seeds carry more than one embryo: one from the fertilized ovule and another produced by the tissue of the mother plant's female organ. The upshot: one plant is the original and the other is a clone of the mother plant. You'll get two separate roots from a polyembryonic seed, which makes them tricky to separate, but not impossible.

Albino weed

Albinism in plants is rare, but it does happen. Albino plants have no chlorophyll. That means there's no pigment to capture the sun's energy. Basically, these plants lose the ability to respond to light properly, as if they were living in constant darkness. That's why most albino plants die young, before they reach maturity.

Upright phenotype

This cannabis mutation is common in hybrid plants. The downside for indoor growers is how tall it can get. On the bright side, this mutant phenotype yields a lot more.

Foxtailing

This mutation can show up in two ways: through genetics, or induced by heat and light stress. It makes calyxes stack on top of each other, creating oddly shaped buds.

Australian Bastard Cannabis (ABC)

This phenotype looks a bit like a succulent, with an overall bushy shape and soft, small, glossy leaves. The small leaves and slim structure of this mutation help it defend itself against low temperatures.

What types of mutations happen in plants?

Mutations are changes in the DNA sequence that can happen in plants. They come in different types and can affect a plant's traits in different ways.

A gene mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that can affect a gene's structure or function. These mutations can be passed down from generation to generation, or they can show up spontaneously.

A silent mutation is a change in the DNA sequence that has no impact on the plant's function or phenotype (its visible traits). In other words, the mutation happens, but you won't see any noticeable change in the plant.

A de novo mutation is one that shows up spontaneously in an individual, meaning it isn't inherited from the parents. These mutations can appear early in the plant's development or at any point in its life cycle.

Spontaneous mutations can happen with no known cause and aren't tied to exposure to outside factors. They can affect plants in all sorts of ways, from changes in appearance to changes in metabolism.

So mutations are changes in the DNA sequence that can affect plants. They come in different types, like gene mutations, silent mutations, de novo mutations and spontaneous mutations, and each can affect a plant's traits differently.

If you liked this, you might also be into...