Indeterminate growth

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This inflorescence of the terrestrial orchid Spathoglottis plicata shows indeterminate growth; note that the opening of flowers and production of fruits is proceeding upwards on the shoot. Spathoglottis flwrs reduced.jpg
This inflorescence of the terrestrial orchid Spathoglottis plicata shows indeterminate growth; note that the opening of flowers and production of fruits is proceeding upwards on the shoot.
Cymose determinate inflorescences
a. Myosotis
b. Cerastium (dichasium)
c. Sedum (scorpioid cyme)
d. Scirpus lacustris (compound cyme)
e. Dianthus (fascicle)
f. Chenopodium album (sessile flowers in cymes)
g. Salvia officinalis (cymule) Cymose determinate inflorescences.jpg
Cymose determinate inflorescences
a. Myosotis
b. Cerastium (dichasium)
c. Sedum (scorpioid cyme)
d. Scirpus lacustris (compound cyme)
e. Dianthus (fascicle)
f. Chenopodium album (sessile flowers in cymes)
g. Salvia officinalis (cymule)

In biology and botany, indeterminate growth is growth that is not terminated, in contrast to determinate growth that stops once a genetically predetermined structure has completely formed. Thus, a plant that grows and produces flowers and fruit until killed by frost or some other external factor is called indeterminate. For example, the term is applied to tomato varieties that grow in a rather gangly fashion, producing fruit throughout the growing season. In contrast, a determinate tomato plant grows in a more bushy shape and is most productive for a single, larger harvest, then either tapers off with minimal new growth or fruit or dies.

Contents

Inflorescences

In reference to an inflorescence (a shoot specialised for bearing flowers, and bearing no leaves other than bracts), an indeterminate type (such as a raceme) is one in which the first flowers to develop and open are from the buds at the base, followed progressively by buds nearer to the growing tip. The growth of the shoot is not impeded by the opening of the early flowers or development of fruits and its appearance is of growing, producing, and maturing flowers and fruit indefinitely. In practice the continued growth of the terminal end necessarily peters out sooner or later, though without producing any definite terminal flower, and in some species it may stop growing before any of the buds have opened.

Not all plants produce indeterminate inflorescences however; some produce a definite terminal flower that terminates the development of new buds towards the tip of that inflorescence. In most species that produce a determinate inflorescence in this way, all of the flower buds are formed before the first ones begin to open, and all open more or less at the same time. In some species with determinate inflorescences however, the terminal flower blooms first, which stops the elongation of the main axis, but side buds develop lower down. One type of example is Dianthus; another type is exemplified by Allium; and yet others, by Daucus.

Animals

In zoology, indeterminate growth refers to the condition where animals grow rapidly when young, and continue to grow after reaching adulthood although at a slower pace. [1] It is common in fish, amphibians, reptiles, and many molluscs. [2] The term also refers to the pattern of hair growth sometimes seen in humans and a few domestic breeds, where hair continues to grow in length until it is cut.

Mushrooms

Some mushrooms – notably Cantharellus californicus  – also exhibit indeterminate growth. [3]

See also

Related Research Articles

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In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bud</span> Immature or embryonic shoot

In botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic shoot and normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a stem. Once formed, a bud may remain for some time in a dormant condition, or it may form a shoot immediately. Buds may be specialized to develop flowers or short shoots or may have the potential for general shoot development. The term bud is also used in zoology, where it refers to an outgrowth from the body which can develop into a new individual.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inflorescence</span> Term used in botany to describe a cluster of flowers

An inflorescence, in a flowering plant, is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a system of branches. An inflorescence is categorized on the basis of the arrangement of flowers on a main axis (peduncle) and by the timing of its flowering.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raceme</span> Unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing pedicellate flowers along its axis

A raceme or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the shoot grows in height, with no predetermined growth limit. Examples of racemes occur on mustard, radish, and orchid plants.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waratah</span> Genus of plants in the family Proteaceae from southeastern Australia

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This page provides a glossary of plant morphology. Botanists and other biologists who study plant morphology use a number of different terms to classify and identify plant organs and parts that can be observed using no more than a handheld magnifying lens. This page provides help in understanding the numerous other pages describing plants by their various taxa. The accompanying page—Plant morphology—provides an overview of the science of the external form of plants. There is also an alphabetical list: Glossary of botanical terms. In contrast, this page deals with botanical terms in a systematic manner, with some illustrations, and organized by plant anatomy and function in plant physiology.

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<i>Eulobus californicus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Persicaria amphibia</i> Species of plant

Persicaria amphibia is a species of flowering plant in the knotweed family known by several common names, including longroot smartweed, water knotweed, water smartweed, and amphibious bistort. It is native to much of North America, Asia, Europe, and parts of Africa, and it grows elsewhere as an introduced species and sometimes a noxious weed.

<i>Weigela subsessilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Weigela subsessilis, the Korean weigela, is a species of flowering plant in the honeysuckle family native in Korea. It can be found on most of the mountains of Korea, except for the northern sides because the temperatures are very low. As the species is highly resistant to shade, cold, salt and even pollution, it is also found in deep forests or near the seas.

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References

  1. West GB, Brown JH, Enquist BJ (October 2001). "A general model for ontogenetic growth". Nature. 413 (6856): 628–31. Bibcode:2001Natur.413..628W. doi:10.1038/35098076. PMID   11675785. S2CID   4393103.
  2. Jan Kozłowski (1996), "Optimal allocation of resources explains interspecific life-history patterns in animals with indeterminate growth", Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B, 263 (1370): 559–566, doi:10.1098/rspb.1996.0084, S2CID   86230586
  3. Viess, Debbie, Cantharellus californicus: California's Giant, Oak-Loving Golden Chanterelle, Bay Area Mycological Society, retrieved 8 May 2011