What is "fasciation"

Fasciation \Fas`ci*a"tion\, n. The act or manner of binding up; bandage; also, the condition of being fasciated.

n. 1 The binding-up of a limb, ''etc.'', with bandages. 2 (context obsolete English) A bandage. 3 The process or state of being fasciated. 4 # (context botany English) abnormal growth in vascular plants in which the apical meristem (growing tip) becomes elongated perpendicularly to the direction of growth, thus producing flattened, ribbon-like, crested, or elaborately contorted tissue.

Fasciation (pronounced , from the Latin root meaning "band" or "stripe"), also known as cresting, is a relatively rare condition of abnormal growth in vascular plants in which the apical meristem (growing tip), which normally is concentrated around a single point and produces approximately cylindrical tissue, instead becomes elongated perpendicularly to the direction of growth, thus, producing flattened, ribbon-like, crested, or elaborately contorted tissue. Fasciation may also cause plant parts to increase in weight and volume in some instances. The phenomenon may occur in the stem, root, fruit, or flower head. Some plants are grown and prized aesthetically for their development of fasciation. Any occurrence of fasciation has several possible causes, including hormonal, genetic, bacterial, fungal, viral and environmental causes.