Definition of epicormic in English:
epicormic
adjective ˌɛpɪˈkɔːmɪkˌepiˈkôrmik
Botany (of a shoot or branch) growing from a previously dormant bud on the trunk or a limb of a tree.
Example sentencesExamples
- In older wood, epicormic shoots often result from severe defoliation or radical pruning.
- Analysis of height vs. diameter ratios among different tree subgroups, with and without epicormic branching, suggested that trees with epicormic branches generally have a low level of secondary growth compared with primary growth.
- Analyses were performed in duplicate on each of the 12 radiata trees that developed epicormic shoots and were used as the plant material source.
- In some species these buds can persist for years and even decades, but with damage or altered environmental conditions, hormonal changes can induce the development of the epicormic buds into new branches.
- These buds may have developed into plagiotropic branches or orthotropic epicormic shoots.
Origin
Early 20th century: from epi- 'upon' + Greek kormos 'tree trunk'.