Molecular basis of angiosperm tree architecture

Summary The architecture of trees greatly impacts the productivity of orchards and forestry plantations. Amassing greater knowledge on the molecular genetics that underlie tree form can benefit these industries, as well as contribute to basic knowledge of plant developmental biology. This review describes the fundamental components of branch architecture, a prominent aspect of tree structure, as well as genetic and hormonal influences inferred from studies in model plant systems and from trees with non‐standard architectures. The bulk of the molecular and genetic data described here is from studies of fruit trees and poplar, as these species have been the primary subjects of investigation in this field of science. Contents Summary 541 I. Introduction 541 II. Components of tree architecture 542 III. Tree architecture categorizations 546 IV. The molecular basis for non‐standard tree architectures 547 V. Conclusions 552 Acknowledgements 552 References 553