O stalk it is a very important structure for plants, because, in addition to supporting the plant's body, it also carries, from the root to the leaves of the plant, all the substances necessary for its survival.
There are many types of stem: aerial stems, underground stems, aquatic stems, between others. All of them are classified according to their form and function. In this article we will talk about the aerial stems and its three types: creeping stems, climbing stems and the erect stems.
You creeping stems they develop by spreading through the soil, fixing themselves through small roots. We can see this kind of stem in watermelon, in our garden grass, in strawberry trees, and so on.
The creeping stems are thin and long and grow on the ground.
You climbing stems they are thin and long and develop on some support. Some plants that have this type of stem attach themselves to the supports through roots, or through adaptations of the plant, called tendrils. This type of stem can be found in passion fruit, chayote, jasmine, etc.
In the image we can see some climbing stems
There are four types of erect stems, are they: trunk, stem, stem and thatch. O trunk-like aerial stem can be seen in large trees. These stems are highly developed and are usually branched at the top.
The trunk type stem is cylindrical and branched
O stem type is characterized by being soft and mostly green in color. It is very common to find this type of stem in herbs such as kale.
Example of a vegetable with a stem-like stem
O stem type it does not have any branches, presenting only a cluster of leaves on its upper part. This stem is typical of plants such as palm trees.
Usually these stems are not branched.
O stalk type it is very similar to the stem type stem. What differentiates them are the divisions in the form of buds that the stem-like stem has. This type of stem can be seen in sugarcane, bamboo, etc.
The culm buds can be hollow, as in bamboo; or full, as in sugar cane
By Paula Louredo
Graduated in Biology
