My Ficus E is 5 1/2' tall. When it blows over, leaves occasionally get broken off.
If they break off at the petiole, I can stick them in wet dirt, and they will root. And ROOT. AND ROOT and ROOT.
Some right now are 18 months old. I have re-potted some, once sure they HAD 'sustained living', and found them root BOUND. I had a pair once for 2 years, before they died over a Winter inside ( I missed with water, and they were near the heat outlet).
When does a shoot emerge, with a new stalk? This is how my Epiphyllum works, as well as some other common plants that I've 'saved' leaves from.
I'm wondering if NEXT TIME, I use rooting hormone, then maybe when the hormone is subsumed, the PLANTS hormones will change from root, to shoot/leaf.
If anyone has the explanation to this one, I'll be [pleasantly] surprised. I fear however, that this is above us all...