Rönsyjen

Rönsyjen is a Finnish term that translates to "runners" or "stolons" in English, and it refers to a type of vegetative propagation in plants. These are specialized stems that grow horizontally along the surface of the soil or just below it. From the nodes along these runners, new plantlets can develop. These plantlets have roots and shoots, and if conditions are favorable, they will grow into independent, genetically identical copies of the parent plant. This method of propagation allows plants to spread and colonize new areas efficiently.

Many common plants utilize rönsyjen for reproduction. Strawberries are a well-known example, with their long, slender runners that eventually produce new strawberry plants. Spider plants also famously produce aerial plantlets on long stalks, which are a form of runner. Other examples include certain types of ground cover plants, grasses, and some aquatic plants. The development of runners is often stimulated by specific environmental cues, such as light levels and temperature, and it is a crucial survival strategy for many species, enabling them to propagate even when seed production is limited or unsuccessful. The term highlights the way these stems "branch out" or "spread" from the parent.