What are some types of stems?

Some different types of plant stems include herbaceous, ligneous, climbing, tubers, woody and aerial. Some specialized stems include buds, thorns and prickles.

Stems are designed to perform four functions on the plant, including support, transportation of fluids, storage of nutrients and the production of new living tissue. A stem is usually divided into nodes and internodes. The nodes are where the buds, leaves and flowers grow. The internodes are the spaces between each node, which is what most people refer to as the stem. Plant stems are green and have thin pipes called the xylem and phloem. These pipes provide nutrients to the plant and transport water.