Variation in the abundance of miR156/miR157 and SPL transcripts is correlated with the appearance of the swollen thorn syndrome in V. collinsii Belize. (A, C, and E) Leaf primordia. (B, D, and F) Stipule primordia. Node number represents the position relative to the base of the shoot. (A and B) Relative abundance of the mature miR156a-f and miR157a-d small RNAs in leaf and stipule primordia. Curves represent conditional means using a Loess smoother. (C and D) Relative abundance of miR156/157-targeted (SPL3-like 3, SPL3-like 5, SPL13-like 1, and SPL13-like 3) and untargeted (SPL7-like 1) transcripts in leaf and stipule primordia. Plotting as in A and B. (E and F) The length of EFN and the number of BB on leaves at successive nodes. Plotting as in A and B.