Disentangling phylogenetic and functional components of shape variation among shoot apical meristems of a wide range of herbaceous angiosperms.

The findings show that geometric interdependence of meristem zones gives rise to correlations among organ numbers, sizes, and their proportions. Phylogenetic conservatism in these correlations indicates conservatism in regulatory processes that underlie the correlations, or the individual traits, that give rise to plant architecture.