Stems

The stem is the central stalk of a vascular plant that is found in its shoot system. All of the structures in a plant are connected to it; a plant cannot grow and develop without it.

The stem is used for a variety of functions. Meristems , initially the apical meristem and later the formed axillary buds, produce leaves; the stem contains vascular tissue that connects through the petioles and leaf veins and transports water and nutrients to the leaves or sugar out of them. The stem also connects the leaves to the roots of the plant.

Stems are typically found aboveground, but they may also be found underground. In cases like those, often where other plant organs are absent, the stem can be modified to adopt their functions as secondary. Stems may be modified into rhizomes and stolons for storage or asexual reproduction, corms for food storage, or swollen tubers for reproductive propagation.