allometric growth

The growth of part of an organism as compared to the whole. It is rare for all parts of a plant to be growing at  the same rate.  Parts that grow faster than the whole are said to exhibit positive allometry, for example, a newly formed inflorescence would usually be growing faster than the vegetative structures. Other parts or organs may show negative allometry, as when a meristem releases growth substances that reduce the growth rates of other neighbouring meristems.