Playford there's nothing wrong with yuo asking for this to be explained in a more understandable way.....Shigo often wrote if you can't explain/define something in less than 25 words you don't really understand it yourself! He would be suitably unimpressed by my attempts!
Burls can be usefully thought of as tree cancers yes, they are meristematic tissues gone nuts. My lack of understanding centers around what is initiating the process in this tree, and my suggesting that perhaps if it is in the genetics of this single tree this helps explain the very fluid like grafting (very much like ficus) that I see in this tree.
I will get to dissect one of the smaller growths (had conversations with GCCC and no objection to me taking one of the smallest higher ones) and will take photos to be posted here. Though it might be another two weeks as next week I'm in NSW.