Every fan of gardening or Botany has read, listened and used numerous times the word “stem” to refer to that part of the plant that supports the rest of its aerial parts and gives structure to it. However, do you know what the stem is and what are its different classifications?
If you want to know more about this part of the vegetables, accompany us in this article in Ecology Verde in which we talk about types of stems, what are, their names and characteristics.
What are plants stems
As we have mentioned above, The stem is the mainly aerial part of the plant which is responsible for structuring it and supporting its different organs, such as leaves, flowers and fruits. Thus, its two main functions are the support of support and the transport of nutrients and substances between the roots and the leaves, the result of the food processes in the first and of the photosynthesis in the second.
The stems have negative geotropism, which means that they grow in the opposite direction to gravity. They also have knots, of which the leaves are born, and with information and yolks of different types.
In addition, in some types of plants, the stem can present specialized functions, such as nutrient storage in tubers or the presence of tendrils in some climbing plants.
Types of stems – summary
The Classification of stems can be done according to the medium:
- Undergrounds.
- Aerial
- Aquatic
Next we will explain each of these types and talk about their subtypes in detail and examples. In addition, we will also talk about the types of edible stems, the majority being underground and aerial.
Types of underground stems – examples
Underground stems are those that, as the name implies, They develop underground. They have buds that give rise to both branches and adventitious leaves and roots. There are several Types of underground stemsbecause they can be subdivided into:
- Tubers: They are of little length and very thick, and are characterized by storing reserve substances and nutrients. They have clefts, commonly called eyes, which give rise to aerial stems. Some examples of tuber are the potato, the cassava, the maca and the tupinambo.
- Rizomas: Underground stems of great thickness that develop in parallel to the surface of the soil. They create protective scales and, when the warm months arrive, their buds give rise to outbreaks that grow outward. They are examples of rhizome the lily, ginger, grass and bamboo. Here you can learn more about rhizomes, their definition and examples of plants.
- Bulb: They form a capsule that has a short stem with roots at the base and a yolk at the upper end, wrapped by several layers of special leaves that make warehouse of reserve substances. In the warm months the stem grows until reaching the outside, and in the cold the bulb survives underground. The onion and tulip are bulbs. In this other post you can find out more about 15 bulb plants.
Types of aerial stems – examples
Aerial stems are those that grow and develop above ground level. Are divided into several Types of aerial stems:
- Erect: They grow totally vertically, without needing other supports.
- Traileros: They are not rigid, so they develop horizontally. Examples of creeping stems are pumpkin and carrot.
- Climbers: They use the support of other exterior plants or objects. An example is the paper flower or helicriso and the minor bougainvillea.
- Voluble: stems of very little resistance, which develop forming a spiral around the stem of a support, which can be another plant or any tutor. An example is the bell.
There are other special types of aerial stems are:
- Trees and bushes Large size develop a trunk, a very branched and resistant stem.
- Some plants have stems that are called cane. They are cylindrical and have very marked knots. An example of this is wheat.
- As strawberries do, some creeping stems are able to develop at ground level and create roots to give rise to new plants. These are the calls stolons.
- Some climbers, such as the vine, have specialized stemsin the form of a thin spiral, whose function is to allow the plant to grab the supports within reach. These are the tendrils.
- Some stems, like those of the Rosales, develop thorns as a defensive measure against predators.
Types of aquatic stems – examples
The aquatic stems are developed in flooded areas or in flooded places, that is, on land with a lot of water flooded. They can be seen both in submerged plants and in those that float on the surface. Some Examples of aquatic stems are:
- Jacinto de Agua
- Nenoufares, like Nymphaea tetragona
- Water pista or lettuce
If you want to know more examples, here you can see +50 aquatic plants, their names, characteristics and images.
Types of edible stems – examples
To end this List of stems of stemswe want to comment that another way of classifying them is depending on whether they are edible or not. In fact, there are a lot of Types of edible stems that the different gastronomies of the world usually use.
From the most obvious, such as asparagus, radish, chard or celery, to others less known in the West, such as bamboo or fern outbreaks. The latter usually eat after a slight cooking, while bamboo shoots have been consumed in Asia from the ancient civilizations, cooked and with salt or canned. In addition, not everyone is aware that cinnamon, used as a spice, is also consumed by its stem. Another plant traditionally consumed as food and by its medicinal properties is fennel, consumed of very diverse forms and key in Provenzana cuisine. Finally, other examples are sugar cane, echalote, ruibarb and chard, consumed not only by its leaves but also by its white stem, called Penca.
If you want to read more articles similar to Types of stemswe recommend that you enter our biology category.
