Modifications of stem

The stem and branches of certain plants

undergo various types of modifications to
perfom special type of functions such. as:
(a) perennation by underground
modifications; (b) vegetative propagation
by sub-aerial modifications and (c)
specialised functions by aerial
modifications.
I. UNDERGROUND MODIFICATIONS OF STEMS

● Some perennial herbs develop their stems

underground for the purpose of perennation during
unfavourable conditions.
● The stem produces aerial branches every year
when conditions become favourable.
● The underground stems are usually very thick as a
result of heavy deposit of food within them and
hence they also act as storage organs. Besides
they also help in vegetative propagation by means
of their buds
● The colourless and leafless stem look like roots
but can be differentiated from them on the basis
of the presence of (a) nodes and internodes, (b)
scale-leaves, and (c) axillary and terminal buds.
The various types of underground modifications
of stems are as follows:
 1. Rhizome
● Rhizomes are modified underground stems. They
are generally thick, fleshy and grow dorsiventrally
i.e., horizontally just below the surface of the soil.
● Rhizomes are colourless and apparently leafless
and, therefore, can be mistaken for roots.
● They are, however, stems because they bear
distinct nodes and internodes, scaly leaves, as well
as axillary and terminal buds. The internodes are
either short or long. Scaly leaves are borne at the
nodes
● The rhizomes produce few slender adventitious
roots from its lower surface
● In rhizomes during favourable season the aerial
shoots photosynthesise and transfer the food to
underground stem for the purpose of storage.
With the onset of unfavourable conditions, the
aerial shoots die and rhizome continues to
perennate.
● Eg: ginger( Zingiber officinale),
water lily(Nympheae), banana,
Colocasia etc..
 2. Corm
● This is a very much thickened large fleshy underground
stem.
● This is more or less condensed form of rhizome
growing in a vertical direction. It assumes a rounded or
slightly flattened shape.
● The corm has nodes and internodes, scaly leaves,
axillary and terminal buds.
● It also produces few adventitious roots from its base.
They can also be produced from the sides
● The nodes of corms are generally in the form of rings
around the swollen stem.
● During favourable seasons the terminal and axillary
 budsgrow into aerial shoots.
● The green leaves of these shoot photosynthesise
and transfer the food to their bases which swell
up to form new corms.
● The position of the new corms may be apical or
lateral depending upon the position of buds.
● Eg: saffron,Colocasia,
● Zamikand( Amorphophallus)
3. Tuber
● In certain plants the ends of the underground
branches (stolons) swell into usually spherical or
irregular shaped structure called tubers.
● They have a heavy deposit of reserve food which is
transported to them from the aerial leaves.
● The tubers have axillary buds at the nodes, and are
often called eyes. These buds germinate and
develop into branches when the tuber is sown into
soil or is kept under moist condition.
● The best example of a tuberous stem is to be
found in potato.
 ● The characters of tuber are summarised below:
(i) Irregularly shaped swollen stem, (ii)
Stores plenty of food,
(iii) It is differentiated into nodes and internodes,
(iv) It bears scaly leaves. The leaves do not store
food,
(v) Axillary buds arise at the nodes,
(vi) It does not bear roots.
●
 4.Bulb
● The bulb have a very much reduced stem.
● The dise like stem bears a single large terminal
bud which is surrounded swollen stem base of
foliage leaves
● Outer leaves are dry, the inner leaves are fleshy.
● The dry scaly leaves are protective in function
whereas fleshy leaves store food.
● The stem produces numerous adventitious
fibrous roots from its base.
● Stem donot store food.
● Since, stem is highly reduced,nodes and inter-
 nodes are not distinct.
● Axillary buds arise in the axil of fleshy leaves
● Eg: onion ,garlic
II. SUB-AERIAL MODIFICATIONS OF STEMS

● These are horizontally growing branches which

grow either just above the surface (sub-aerial) or
just below the surface (sub-terranean) of the soil.
● They are produced from the lower axillary buds of
the weak-stemmed plants for the purpose of
vegetative propagation.
● The various types of sub-aerial modifications are
as follows:
 1.Runner
● The mother plant produces a number of branches or
runners from the lower buds just near the surface of the
soil.
● The branches grow on all the sides in a horizontal
manner creeping over the surface of the ground.
● These prostrate branches grow very long but remain
fixed to soil with the help of roots produced from their
nodes.
● The nodes also bear leaves on their upper surfaces.
The runners have thin and long internodes.
● The branches are capable of growing into new plants if
they are, separated from the mother plants.
● Some of the common examples are the grasses ,
wood-sorrel (Oxalis), Marsilea, etc.
 2.Offset
● An offset (branch) arises from one of the lower
axillary buds and produces few nodes and
internodes.
● An offset is thick and stout.
● It produces at its tip a tuft of leaves above and a
cluster of roots below.
● An offset may break off to give rise to a separate
plant.
● Some of the common examples are water
hyacinth, (Eicchornia crassipes) and water lettuce
(Pistia)
● Occurs in free floating plants
● Arises from buds above the surface of water
 3.Stolon
● The stolon is a sub-terranean branch since it
develops just below the surface of the ground
arising from one of the lower axillary buds.
● Like runners, they grow horizontally all around the
mother plant and are differentiated into nodes and
long internodes.
● The tip of the stolon ultimately emerges out of the
ground and grows into a new plant and strikes to
the ground again.
● Eg: arrowroot, passion-flower, Colocasia,
peppermint (Mentha piperita), wild strawberry
(Fragaria indica) etc..
 4.Sucker
● Sucker arises in the axil of a lower leaf just below the
surface of the ground.
● The sucker after growing horizontally or obliqu- ely for
some distance emerges out of the ground in the form
of an aerial shoot.
● Suckers are shorter than the
stolons having thicker and
shorter Internodes
● Eg: garden mint (Mentha ar
vensis
Chrysanthemum, banana,
pineapple etc
III. AERIAL MODIFICATION OF STEMS
● Some of the aerial parts of stems of certain plants
are extremely perform special types of functiIII.
AERIAL MODIFICATION OF STEMS
● Some of the aerial parts of stems of certain plants
are extremely perform special types of functions.
The modifications are as follows:
1. Stem-tendril: In some climbers the plant climbs
with the help of tendrils which are modifications of
either an axillary bud (passion-flower, Passiflora) ,
terminal bud (vitis) or floral bud
● e.g., Sandwich Island climber (Antigonon) and
balloon vine (Cardiospermum). Other examples are
gourds, cucumber, pumpkin, water melon and other
cucurbits, etc.
2. Phylloclade: In manysucculent type of xerophytes the
leaves are either completely absent or, are modified into
spines etc. to check transpiration.
● In order to carry on the function of photosynthesis, the
stem becomes flat and turns green in colour. Such a
modified green and flattened stem is called
phylloclade
● Eg: prickly pear (Opuntia, Casuarina, Coccoloba
(Muehlenbeckia, and several species of Euphorbia, etc.
● Phylloclade is also known as cladophyll.
● The stem has several internodes
● It has unlimited growth
● The leaves either fall off or modified in to spine
3. Cladode: When the phylloclade is very short and is
of only one or two internodes it is known as cladode.
● A very good example of a plant bearing cladodes
is butcher's broom (Ruscus aculeatus , Asparagus
● The branches alone are modified into flattened or
cylindrical green leafy structures
● It has limited growth
● The leaves are reduced to scales
4. Thorns: Thorns are deep-seated hard structures
which are axillary in position.
● They are, therefore, modified branch. They are
straight and pointed structures. Examples are
Duranta, Carissa ,Prunus
● Modification of stem
● Axillary or terminal in position because they are
modified buds
● Deep seated ,
● Hard and often straight
● Bears leaves, flowers and fruits
● Branched or unbranched
● Vascular tissues present
Prickles are irregular in distribution. They are superficial
outgrowth of epidermis. They are weak, curved or even
straight. Vascular tissues are absent
● Modification of stem or leaf
● Irregular in distribution
● Superficial outgrowths of epidermis
● Weak, curved or even straight
● Prickles do not bear anything
● Always unbranched
● Vascular tissues are absent
5. Bulbils: Some plants propagate by means of vegetative
or floral buds. They grow directly into new plants. Some of
the examples of bulbil producing plants are pineapple,
Oxalis, Agave, Dioscorea, Globba etc
6. Thalamus or Torus: The terminal slightly swollen
tip of the pedicel is called the thalamus. The nodes of
the thalamus bear four floral parts, viz. sepals, petals,
stamens and carpels. The internodes are highly
condensed in the thalamus region of flowering shoot,
and, therefore, the whorls of flower get closely
placed. The thalamus may be conical, flat, or
concave.
7. Pseudobulb: One of the internodes of several aerial
orchids is modified into a large fleshy structure for
storing moisture and is called a pseudobulb. It helps
the plant in tiding over the dry periods.
8. Spur or Brachyplast or Dwarf Shoot: In Pinus the
main stem and the long shoots do not bear foliage
leaves. The foliage leaves called needles are borne
on special kinds of branches called dwarf shoots.
References
1.K.k Bhaskaran and Dr.Sreeranjini.k, Angiosperm
Morphology Systematic Botany, manjusha
publications first edition June 2021
2.Dr. V .Verma, BOTANY, Ane books Pvt. Ltd, 2010,
Page number : 355 to 365
3.S.N. Pandey and S.P. Mishra , Taxonomy of
Angiosperms,Ane books India, 2008
THANK YOU

Submitted by: Amina Huda C K