epicormic

English

Epicormic sprouts on trunk of an old Sitka spruce

Etymology

From epi- +‎ corm +‎ -ic.

Adjective

epicormic (not comparable)

1. (botany) Of a sprout: growing from a dormant, adventitious bud on the trunk of a tree.
   • 1964, Arnold Hedlund, Epicormic Branching in North Louisiana Delta‎^[1], Southern Forest Experiment Station:

     Epicormic branching often follows disturbances, such as thinning or top breakage, which stimulate the sprouting of dormant buds on the boles. The branches may add to the growth capacity of the tree, but they also create knots that reduce lumber value.