THE STEM 2t 



apices have to make their way through the soil, 

 which is a more resisting medium than the air 

 through which the apices of stems have to make 

 their way. Hence the former have a strong protec- 

 tive tissue in the form of a cap, while the latter 

 have a few leaves to perform the same function. In 

 cold countries, where plants have to pass through a 

 rigorous winter, the growing apices of stems to meet 

 this special circumstance are further covered by 

 special leaves known as bud-scales, on the outside 

 of the ordinary leaves (fig. 17, sc). In warm coun- 

 tries, like India, such protective scales are occasion- 

 ally met with, as in Banyan, Peepul, rubber or 

 India-rubber, and Jack-fruit trees. 



The growing apices of stems with their crowds of 

 young leaves are known as buds, and as these buds 

 terminate or stand at the apex of the stem, they are 

 said to be terminal. Further, each leaf usually bears 

 in its AXIL, that is, the inner or upper angle which 

 it makes with the stem, one bud. Such buds are 

 AXILLARY or LATERAL as they stand in the axil of the 

 leaf or on the side of the stem, and they develop, like 

 leaves, inacropetal order. The stem elongates by 

 the growth of the terminal bud, and branches by the 

 growth of the lateral buds. When the axillary buds 

 remain undeveloped, the stem becomes branchless, as 

 in Palms. In some plants some of the axillary buds 

 remain undeveloped for a time and grow subsequently 

 when necessity arises ; such buds are said to be sleep- 

 ing or DORMANT. 



The axillary buds, as described above, grow in the 

 axils of leaves in acropetal order. Buds, however, 

 occasionally arise from other parts of the stem or from 

 roots or even from leaves in any order. Such buds 

 are therefore said to be adventitious. For example, 



