

TYPES AND KINDS OF STEMS 47 



ivy the ends of the branched tendril are broadened into thin, 

 flat, disk-like objects, which are applied closely to the smooth 

 surface of the wall and hold tightly to it. The tendrils of the 

 American ivy (A mpelopsis quinquefolia) behave in a similar way. 

 Twining, or coiling climbers, coil around the object of support, 

 as the hop, morning glory, climbing bean. All twining stems 

 do not coil around the object of support in the same direction. 

 The morning glory coils from right to left, i.e., against the sun. 

 The hop coils in the opposite direction, i.e., with the sun. A 

 few, as Asparagus plumosus, will coil either way. In the tropical 

 forests climbing stems reach their greatest development. Some 

 of the lianas (as these climbing plants are called) have stems the 

 diameter of large trees. One curious one (Copernicia tectorum) 

 forms a network of united branches around palms. 



Fig. 45- 

 Stolon, or runner, of strawberry. 



75. Prostrate stems. Prostrate stems trail or "creep" on 

 the ground. The dewberry and strawberry are examples. 

 These stems are also called stolons from the habit of creeping on 

 the ground for a distance, then striking root and developing a 

 cluster of leaves, while the main stem continues as a creeper and 

 strikes root again, and so on. The water fern (Marsilia) is a 

 good example of a prostrate aquatic plant. 



76. Decumbent stems. These are stems which arise in an 

 ascending manner and then curve or droop to the ground, where 

 they often take root at the tip and form here a new decumbent 

 stem, so that the plant slowly travels and spreads over the ground. 

 The blackberries and raspberries are decumbent stems. The 



