Diversity of stems and the bud

Stems differ with the kind of plant and its growing conditions. By internal structure they are woody (poplar, elm) or herbaceous (barley, nightshade); a woody stem keeps growing each year from new buds and forms a long-lived above-ground part, while the above-ground part of a herbaceous stem often lives one season. By direction of growth: erect (poplar, wheat), ascending (clover), twining — wraps around a support (bindweed, morning glory), climbing — clings with tendrils (grape, pea), trailing (melon, watermelon, cucumber) and creeping — lies along the ground and roots at its nodes (strawberry, silverweed). Stems may be branched (apple, walnut) or unbranched (palm). The variety of stem forms lets many species grow in one place: plants reach the light in different ways.