STOLON 83 



In many cases the trailing stem serves the usual purpose 

 of supporting the leaves, but in others the procumbent 

 stem becomes a means of perpetuating and distributing the 

 species. These stems are usually characterized by the 

 buds at the nodes taking root and growing into new plants. 

 After the new plant is thoroughly established, the part join- 

 ing it to the parent gradually disappears and the new plant 

 becomes an independent unit. Procumbent stems differ 

 somewhat from the true upright stems, in that they are more 

 slender and usually bear little or no foliage. There are two 

 distinct types of procumbent stems, the runner and the 

 stolon. 



Runner. A runner is a prostrate stem with long internodes 

 and destitute of foliage, which grows out from the parent 

 plant. It is sometimes spoken of as a slender bud bearing 

 procumbent stems. At varying intervals on the stem are 

 nodes from which root protuberances are formed when the 

 proper stimulus is given. At the tip of the runner, under 

 the stimulus of the damp soil, roots develop and a new 

 plant begins to grow. When the new plant 13 well estab- 

 lished, the connecting stem usually dies, and an independent 

 plant is the result. The strawberry plant furnishes a good 

 example of the runner. 



In moist, sandy soils the young plants will usually take 

 root without artificial aid, but in hard, heavy soils the 

 runners must be kept in contact with the earth either by 

 pegging or by laying a weight of some kind on the runner. 



Stolon. A stolon is a procumbent stem which takes root 

 either at the tip or at the node of the stem, and grows into 

 a new and an independent plant. A stolon differs from a 

 runner in having a more procumbent and a less prostrate 

 stem. More foliage and shorter nodes also characterize 

 the stolon. Besides the brambles, many of the ornamental 

 plants may be multiplied by means of stolons. The black 

 raspberry is a good plant to illustrate propagation by the 

 use of the stolon. The young raspberry canes at first grow 

 erect, but later in their growth the ends of the growing 

 shoots bend toward the ground, finally touching it, where 

 root protuberances slowly develop and finally roots appear 



