Either you love stems, or you hate pandas

 Preface

 This is the third in my "botany" series of short-essays. It was written as an introduction to a lesson on stems as part of the Introduction to Botany lab I was the instructor for at UNBSJ back in 2011. Enjoy!

Either you love stems, or you hate pandas    

           Plant stems are one of those things that we tend to take for granted on a day to day basis.  We may think of them as the boring part of the plant – they are not as pretty as flowers or leaves, they lack the mystery and intrigue of roots, and if you try to think of the last time you ate one, well, it can be difficult to remember.  It’s not that they aren’t important, obviously we couldn’t have the delicious fruits and vegetables, the beautiful flowers, or shady leaves without the stem.  They’re kinda like the offensive lineman of a football game – absolutely necessary, because the quarterback would be immediately sacked and the team would lose without them, but they don’t do much other than stand there and provide support for the rest of the team (plant).  This analogy is true in that stems are overlooked, but they are probably more interesting and important than you think.  Like roots, stems can be aerial, underground, or aquatic, and like roots, we eat them in copious amounts. 

            In fact, one of the most important crops in the world is a stem - the sugar cane; if you had cereal for breakfast this morning, jam on your toast, or something sweet in your coffee, chances are you ate some sugar cane.  If you had a thanksgiving dinner this past weekend, chances are you ate some potatoes or yams – both modified underground stems (tubers).  A couple of things we had in the lab last week alongside the roots, like arrowroot cookies and sarsaparilla, are actually from modified underground stems called rhizomes.  Ginger is a stem – and I ask you, where would Asian food be without ginger?!!  Curries, stir-frys, and sushi would be soooo bland.  Asparagus spears, artichoke hearts, and water chestnuts are examples of delicious stems too. 

            Of course, all of the wood we use for building houses, furniture, boats, and baseball bats is also from the stem – although we’ll talk more about wood and other secondary growth products in the next lab. 

            Bamboo is another stem of incredible importance – not only is it used as a building material, fibre for paper products, and food (bamboo shoots), but it grows quickly and readily in warm climates, helping to meet the great demand for these products.  PLUS, it is the primary food of the endangered and incredibly cute giant panda. 

So, in conclusion, if you think stems are boring or stupid, we can only assume you don’t like to eat candy or yummy food, you live in a concrete house with plastic furniture, and probably hate pandas.