Acrogens

/ˈækrəˌdʒɛnz/ noun

Definition

Plants that grow from the apex or tip, such as certain ferns and mosses, adding new tissue at the growing point.

Etymology

From Greek akron (tip, summit) + -gen (producing, originating from). The term describes organisms defined by their growth pattern from the top down.

Kelly Says

Ferns are acrogens that have barely changed in 300 million years—they're living fossils that proved so successful in their growth strategy that evolution decided not to redesign them.

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