The term is derived from Greek (mono, "single" + karpos, "fruit" or "grain"), and was first used by Alphonse de Candolle.
The term hapaxanth is most often in conjunction with describing some of the taxa of Arecaceae (palms) and some species of bamboo, but rarely used otherwise; its antonym is pleonanth.
These changes are induced by chemicals that act as hormones, redirecting the resources of the plants from the roots and leaves to the production of fruits and or seeds.
[1] The century plant in the genus Agave, some terrestrial bromeliads of the genus Puya, Tillandsia utriculata, some yuccas, and many bamboos can take 8 to 20 years or in the case of some bamboos even over 100 years to bloom and then die.
Few dicot shrubs with multiple branching and secondary growth species have been described.