THE STEM

Maria Elisa B. Gerona

 Outline
➔ External Form of a Woody Twig
➔ Origin and Development of Stems
➔ Tissue Patterns in Stems
◆ Herbaceous Dicotyledonous Stems
◆ Monocotyledonous Stems
◆ Woody Dicotyledonous Stems

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➔ Wood and Its Uses
 Functions

➔ Support of Leaves, Flowers, Fruits

➔ Conduction of Water, Minerals, Sugars,
etc.
➔ Photosynthesis
➔ Storage
➔ Defense
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 External form of a woody
twig
➢ Node
➢ Internode
➢ Axil
➢ Stipules
➢ Buds
○ Axillary bud
○ Terminal bud
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 External form of a woody
twig
➢ Bundle scars
➢ Buds
○ Axillary bud
○ Terminal bud

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 Origin and development of
stems
➢ Apical meristem at stem tip
○ Contributes to increase in
stem length
○ Dormant before growing
season begins
○ Protected by bud scales and
by leaf primordia
■ Leaf primordia - Tiny Coleus stem, l.s.

embryonic leaves that

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develop into mature leaves
 Tissue patterns in stems
➢ Monocot stems
○ Randomly arranged vascular
bundles
○ Ground tissue consists
primarily of parenchyma cells

Zea mays stem, c.s.

7 Monocot vascular
 Tissue patterns in stems
➢ Dicot stems
○ vascular bundles in
concentric ring
○ Ground tissue consists
primarily of parenchy

Dicot
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stem
 Stelar types

eustele atactostele
Protoxylem maturation
Vascular cambium - a lateral meristem
Many Plants Rhizomes
have Modified
Stems
Bulbs
Storage leaves
Stem
Stolons

Stolon

Tubers
Stem Adaptations
 Xeromorphic features

❖ Succulent
➢ store water
❖ Sclerotic
provide structural rigidity to resist collapse and
tearing
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 Xeromorphic features

❖ Subspherical or more or less cylindrical

➢ low ratio of surface area to volume
❖ Thick cuticles and waxy coating
➢ limits evapotranspiration
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 Succulent

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 Sclerotic

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Spherical/

cylindrical stems
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 Waxy stems

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 Mesomorphic features
❖ Tall trees with smooth barks or thick barks
➢ Speed run-off of water (tropics) or protection against
cold winters (temperate)
❖ Climbing plants
➢ To reach sunlight
❖ Rapid stem growth of sun plants
21 ➢ (shade avoidance response)
 Smooth barks or thick barks

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 Climbing plants

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 Shade avoidance response

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 Hydromorphic features

❖ Flexible and thin stems

❖ Lacunae or aerenchyma development

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 Flexible and thin stems

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 Aerenchyma development

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