stoloni

Stoloni are slender, horizontal stems that grow along the soil surface or just beneath it and enable vegetative reproduction in many plants. They form at or near the base of a plant, producing roots at the nodes and shoots at the tips. New plants can develop from these nodes, creating a network of genetically identical individuals that can quickly colonize an area. Stoloni therefore play a key role in plant propagation, survival in disturbed habitats, and rapid resource capture.

Morphology and growth: Stoloni are typically long and flexible, growing laterally with occasional short root-bearing nodes. They are distinguished from rhizomes, which usually grow underground, and from true runners, which extend rapidly to distances away from the parent plant.

Ecology and examples: In strawberries, runners extend to form daughter plants that can root and establish new crowns, enabling rapid spread. Grasses such as Bermuda grass and creeping bentgrass use stoloni to cover ground and recover after disturbance. Stoloni can be annual or perennial, depending on species and environmental conditions.

Management and horticulture: In cultivation, stoloni can be used to propagate plants vegetatively by rooting new plantlets derived from the nodes. In natural ecosystems, stoloni contribute to clonal growth and can influence patterns of competition and succession. See also: vegetative propagation, rhizome, runner.