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meristem cells

In my textbook it says 'in some plants, intercalary meristems are located between the nodes (where the leaves and buds branch off the stem). Growth between the nodes is responsible for the shoot getting longer'. Can these intercalary meristems give rise to leaves and buds braching off the stem? Or is their role just to make the shoot longer?

(edited 11 years ago)

anyone?

They give rise to leaves and flowers also.

Reply 3

username895805

Yeah they can, but most plants have lateral bud meristems to do this. But it is still possible I guess.

Reply 4

asphodel77

All stem cells in plants are totipotent - they have the ability to give rise to specialist cells in order to grow or repair old cells/ replace damaged organs as well as creating an entire plant. Think of the long shoots in strawberry plants, they search for and bury into soil and start growing a new, identical strawberry plant. This is also a form of asexual reproduction.