In botany, a tendril's a specialized stem, leaf or petiole with a threadlike shape that's used by climbing plants for support and attachment, generally by twining around whatever it touches. History The earliest and most comprehensive study of tendrils was Charles Darwin's monograph On the Movements and Habits of Climbing Plants, which was originally published in 1865. This work also coined the term circumnutation to describe the motion of growing stems and tendrils seeking supports. Biology… (More on Tendril)