A Grammatical Dictionary of Botanical Latin

Sympodium, a sympode, “a main axis appearing to be simple, but actually consisting of a number of short axillary branches rather than a continuation of the main axis” (Harris & Harris); “a stem made up of a series of superposed branches, so as to imitate a simple axis” (Jackson); “an apparent main axis (as in the grapevine) not developing from a terminal bud but made up of successive secondary axes each of which represents one fork of a dichotomy the other fork of which is of weaker growth or suppressed entirely” (WIII): sympodium,-ii (s.n.II), abl.sg. sympodio [> Gk. syn- + podion, a small foot or stalk, a small base]; cf. monopodium.

NOTE: a sympodial stem is derived from multiple meristems due to the fact that the apical meristem is terminated and continuous growth occurs from lateral meristems, such as in rhizomes. A monopodial stem derives from only one meristem.

Pseudaxis = Sympodium (Jackson): pseudaxis,-is (s.m.III, an i-stem noun), dat.sg. pseudaxi, acc. sg. pseudaxem or pseudaxin, abl. sg. pseudaxe, nom & acc. pl. pseudaxes, gen. pl. pseudaxium, dat.& abl. pl. pseudaxibus.