As the tip of a plant shoot grows, new leaves are produced at regular time intervals if temperature is held constant. This time interval is termed the plastochron (or plastochrone).[1] The plastochrone index and the leaf plastochron index are ways of measuring the age of a plant dependent on morphological traits rather than on chronological age.[clarification needed] Use of these indices removes differences caused by germination, developmental differences and exponential growth.
- ^ Silk, Wendy Kuhn; Erickson, Ralph O. (1979). "Kinematics of plant growth". Journal of Theoretical Biology. 76 (4): 481–501. doi:10.1016/0022-5193(79)90014-6.