. Botany for agricultural students. Plants. 178 STEMS borne. In most cases aerial stems are produced, and the leaves of the underground stem are mere scales. Although the underground stems are the least adapted for leaf display, they have some advantages that aerial stems do not Fig. 153. Smilax climbing over bushes by means of tendrils. After Kerner. They are much less exposed to drying and freezing, and escape being pastured off by stock. They are safe places for the storage of food, and most underground stems do have much reserve food, which is used in the growth of new aerial shoots
. Botany for agricultural students. Plants. 178 STEMS borne. In most cases aerial stems are produced, and the leaves of the underground stem are mere scales. Although the underground stems are the least adapted for leaf display, they have some advantages that aerial stems do not Fig. 153. Smilax climbing over bushes by means of tendrils. After Kerner. They are much less exposed to drying and freezing, and escape being pastured off by stock. They are safe places for the storage of food, and most underground stems do have much reserve food, which is used in the growth of new aerial shoots at the opening of each growing season. Herbaceous plants are able to persist for many years, if they have an underground stem from which new shoots may arise each year. In other words, an underground stem is one of the features that makes it possible for herbaceous plants to be perennials. The underground position is an advan- tageous one for vegetative propagation, because not only are the nodes favorably located for establishing roots, but the supply of reserve food and protection from drying and freezing makes it possible for even small segments of underground stems to live and develop separate plants. When an underground stem like that of Quack Grass is hoed to pieces, each segment, if it has a. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Martin, John N. (John Nathan), b. 1875. New York, John Wiley ; London, Chapman & Hall
Size: 1589px × 1571px
Photo credit: © Library Book Collection / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectplants, bookyear1919
