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L4-Stem Morphology

This document discusses plant stem morphology and modifications. It describes various types of meristems that allow for growth, including apical and lateral meristems. Various stem modifications are also outlined, such as runners, rhizomes, bulbs, corms, tubers, tendrils, thorns, phyllodes, cladodes, pseudobulbs, and suckers. These modifications allow plants to store food, climb, reproduce vegetatively, and adapt to their environment.

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309 views57 pages

L4-Stem Morphology

This document discusses plant stem morphology and modifications. It describes various types of meristems that allow for growth, including apical and lateral meristems. Various stem modifications are also outlined, such as runners, rhizomes, bulbs, corms, tubers, tendrils, thorns, phyllodes, cladodes, pseudobulbs, and suckers. These modifications allow plants to store food, climb, reproduce vegetatively, and adapt to their environment.

Uploaded by

Sleeping Beauty
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STEM MORPHOLOGY

MERISTEM
STEM – BRANCH
STEM – TRUNK/WOOD
MERISTEM – area with meristematic tissue. Single
cell unit. Active dividing. Non-differentiated
apex
MERISTEMATIC TISSUE
Permanent regions of growth
Cells actively dividing
Simple cell, large nucleus,
tiny/no vacoule
Apical and lateral meristem
Apical meristems : found at/or near
the tip of roots and shoots, increase in
length with increase in new cells;
primary growth/tissues

Lateral meristems : secondary


growth/tissues, increase in girth,
cork and vascular cambium
Young stem/branch
Wood
Bark
Outer bark
Inner bark
Pith

Bark

Inner bark
Annual ring
Sequoia sp.

Giant Sequoia
Type of outer bark

Smooth Crack Peels Scales


Lenticels
Pore in the bark; lens shape;
For CO2 absorption
Type of branching

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) Oak (Quercus laurifolia)

Monopodial Sympodial
Single main axis Consisting of main axis
and a few axillary branches
Vine – Plant with stem not self-
supporting but climbing or trailing
on some support
BUD
Immature shoot which either :
1.Vegetative bud - developed into branch/leaf
2.Reproductive bud - developed into flower

Terminal Bud
Axillary/lateral
bud
Bud scales
Covers for bud
Small, corky, waxy
Modified leaf to protect bud

Single scale/cap

Scales
Naked
SCAR

Mark indicating the former place of


attachment of petiole, bud or vascular
bundles

Bud scar

Leaf scar
Vascular bundles scar
Nodes
Area/point where leaf are attached
Internodes
Stem region between 2 nodes

node

Internode
STEM MODIFICATION

1. Runners/Stolon
Horizontal stems above grounds
Beneath surface ground
Long and thin internodes
Fragaria virginiana
Family : Rosaceae

(new plant) adventitious buds

Runner/stolon
Spider plant - Chlorophytum comosum
Family : Anthericaceae

Runner/Stolon

New plants
Bermuda grass – Cynodon dactylon
Family : Poaceae

Stolon
2. Rhizomes
Horizontal stems that grows
below ground
Scale-like leaves and axillary buds
at each node
Adventitious roots along the
rhizome
Thick, fleshy, food-storage organs
Rhizome – Stem underground Zingiber officinale - Ginger
3. Bulbs
Large buds
Surrounded by fleshy leaves
Small stem
Adventitious roots from
bottom of stem
Fleshy leaves – food storage
Bulb – Undergrounds buds with
thickened fleshy scales (leaf)

Fleshy scales

Roots
Stem

Onion - Allium cepa


Family : Liliaceae
Long, above
ground leaf

Scale-like
leaf base
Bulbel/bulblet
Small bulb/offset
arising form
base (stem) of a
larger bulb
4. CORMS
Resembles bulbs
Composed entirely of stem
tissue
Paper/scale-like leaf
Adventitious root at the base
Food storage
Corm – Short, solid, vertical underground stem

Yam - Dioscorea sp
Family : Dioscoreaceae
Crocus sp.
Family : Iridaceae
5. Culm – Hollow or pithy stalk
or stem

Paddy – Oryza sativa


Family : Poaceae
Bamboo – Bambusa vulgaris, Family : Poaceae
6. Sucker/Tiller
Shoot and stem originating from
below ground

Banana – Musa sp. Paddy – Oryza sativa


Tuber
Thickened portion of a rhizomes;
underground stem for food
storage

Potato – Solanum tuberosum


7. Tendril
A slender, twining organ (modified
stem) to grasp for support and
climbing

Tendril
8. Thorn
A stiff, woody modified stem with
a sharp end.
9. Phyllode
A stem with the form and function of a
leaf. Leaflike petiole lacking true leaf

Acasia – Acacia mangium


10. Cladode/Cladophyll
Flattened stem or leaf-like
Having node, very small scale-
like leaves
Asparagus, cactus
Shoots/spears
Cladode – A modified stem with form
and function of leaf

Asparagus sp.
Asparagus tip showing scale leaves and baby
cladode
CLADOPHYLL

SPINE(LEAF)
11. Pseudobulb
Pseudo (false).
Orchid –epiphyte, canopy plants
Enlarge stem segments
Water storage during dry season
Orchids
The true stem is
Rhizome underground

It is commonly referred to
as a corm, and
occasionally as a bulb, but
the botanically correct term
is rhizome

The terminal growing point


of the rhizome, the apical
meristem, is a flattened
dome from which the
leaves and the
inflorescence are formed.
Looks like a trunk is actually a false
Pseudostem stem

Formed by the tightly packed


overlapping leaf sheaths

The pseudostem is very fleshy and


consists mostly of water

the real stem (centre of pseudostem —


the floral stem which supports the
inflorescence — emerges at the top
of the plant
A lateral shoot that develops from the rhizome
Sucker and usually emerges close to the mother plant

A sucker that has just emerged through the soil


surface is called a peeper

A full grown sucker bearing foliage leaves


(below) is called a maiden sucker.

Two types of sucker:


sword suckers (right on the photo),
characterized by narrow leaves and a large
rhizome

water suckers (left on the photo), which have


broad leaves and a small rhizome. Water
suckers have a weak connection to the mother
plant and as such will not develop into a strong
plant.

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