Rob Wallace
Branching in trees and most other plants typically serves to move the lateral organs (side branches and leaves) away from the supporting organ (main stem or trunk), presumably to present the leaves and/or flowers for optimal photosynthesis or reproduction. Rarely do branches "return" to the main supporting stem except as an aberration, although in habitats with extreme stresses (wind, cold, high light, limited water, etc.), all bets are off regarding "normal' architecture of the plant. There are many examples of long-lived plants in stressed habitats (high elevation, strong prevailing winds, thin soils, deserts, heavy predation/herbivory) where gnarled, unusual branching patterns are the norm. I think you may be reacting to the combined visual disharmony of what is assumed to be a natural branching pattern for the entire branch.

I agree that the upward pointing branch seems out of context, given that the other branching pattern seems to follow 'normal' branching form where the branch angles are less than 90 degrees. The upward pointing branch visually follows the same angles, but seems inverted if one is to assume a normally growing plant.

We have been informed that the 'reversed' upper branch is to mimic the artificially-developed forms of cultivated plants grown following bonsai aesthetics. There are several basic principles of number, scale, and balance in the bonsai art form, but I really know nothing about this with respect to the 'naturalness' (or not) of branch angles in artificially-modified bonsai growth forms.

I don't know if this has helped the discussion or not... (?)

Rob