secondary growth

American  

noun

Botany.

1. an increase in the thickness of the shoots and roots of a vascular plant as a result of the formation of new cells in the cambium.

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secondary growth Scientific  

1. Growth in vascular plants resulting from the production of layers of secondary tissue by a lateral meristem (the cork cambium or the vascular cambium). The new tissue accumulates and results in thicker branches and stems. Secondary growth occurs in gymnosperms, most eudicots, and woody magnoliids (such as the magnolia). Most monocots and herbaceous plants undergo little or no secondary growth but simply stop growing when their primary tissues mature.

2. Compare primary growth

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Compare meaning

How does secondary-growth compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• primary growth vs. secondary growth

Example Sentences

Herbaceous plants mostly undergo primary growth, with hardly any secondary growth or increase in thickness.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

One common trigger for a secondary growth spurt is flooding, Tucker says.

From Science Magazine • Dec. 17, 2021

For the use of other porous supports, secondary growth methods that rely on the presence of a silica sol or gel should be employed.

From Nature • Mar. 14, 2017

Right illustration shows a cross section of a woody stem undergoing secondary growth.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2015

I regard the vampire as usurping the place of the possessed maiden, and the two Russian variants as a secondary growth.

From The Grateful Dead The History of a Folk Story by Gerould, Gordon Hall