Salmon C. auteur aut IRD Isnard Sandrine auteur aut IRD Caraglio Y. auteur aut IRD Heuret P. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng Plant architecture strongly influences plant growth habits, as it determines the arrangement, function and fate of meristems. How architecture could be involved in the monocarpic life history, i.e. dying after flowering, remains poorly investigated. Monocarpy is evident in some species since they are annual or because their single stem flowers apically. However, monocarpy in long-lived branched trees is rare and remains poorly understood. We aim to highlight the architectural features involved in the monocarpic strategy of Cerberiopsis candelabra, a rainforest tree endemic to New Caledonia. We conducted a comparative analysis of the genus, which comprises three species with different growth habits. Twenty plants of each species were studied at different ontogenic stages. We compared their developmental sequence and analysed their processes of growth, branching, flowering and reiteration. We identified a combination of traits that distinguish the species, and we found a syndrome of two architectural features that support the monocarpic strategy in C. candelabra: the synchronous flowering of all terminal meristems and the absence of delayed branching. Flowering in C. candelabra preferentially occurs when the complete architectural sequence is developed, but the plant never shows signs of senescence, suggesting that environmental stresses, such as wind disturbance, could be the main trigger for flowering. The architecture of C. candelabra is suggested to be the most derived in the genus. specialized ecological diversification flowering synchronicity growth pattern monocarpy New Caledonia plant architecture senescence tropical rainforest NOUVELLE CALEDONIE 076 [Early access] 510-528 2023 0024-4074 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00026229 10.1093/botlinnean/boad007 0024-4074 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/PAR00026229 IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2023-08-25 2026-06-12 PAR00026229 fre