Acrotonic

Acrotonic

In botany, the term acrotonic refers to the tendency of a plant to manifest acrotony.
Acrotony is the characteristic of a plant in which the major branches have a greater development than the lower ones.
There is therefore acrotonic growth when there is a development of the highest branches of a stem, particularly pronounced compared to that of the lower branches.
The term acrotonic is opposite to the term basiton, where the plant manifests the opposite tendency. In this case the buds at the base of the stem develop branches more easily than those placed in the upper part.
To these two vegetational manifestations is also added that of mesotonic growth, where plants tend to develop more branches in the median portion of the central axis.
In this sense, there will then be different growth characteristics of the plants according to their morphology.
Trees exhibit acrotonic growth, shrubs tonic growth bases and mesotonic grasses.