The Collaborative International Dictionary
Sympodial \Sym*po"di*al\, a. (Bot.) Composed of superposed branches in such a way as to imitate a simple axis; as, a sympodial stem.
Wiktionary
a. (context botany English) Having a specialized lateral growth pattern in which the apical meristem is terminated.
Wikipedia
In botany, sympodial growth is a specialized lateral growth pattern in which the apical meristem is terminated and growth is continued by one of more lateral meristems, which repeat the process. The apical meristem may be consumed to make an inflorescence or other determinate structure, or it may be aborted.
Leader displacement may result: the stem appears to be continuous, but is in fact derived from the meristems of multiple lateral branches, rather than a monopodial plant whose stems derive from one meristem only.
Dichotomous substitution may result: two equal laterals continue the main growth.
Usage examples of "sympodial".
It would be highly sympodial, that is, capable of adaptation to any environment.
Most of you will recall my mentioning before that it was a paradox that a pure sympodial development, such as this creature is, did not populate the entire universe.