stolonlike

Stolonlike is a term used to describe plant growth forms or organs that resemble a stolon. In botany, a stolon is a slender, horizontal stem that grows from the base of a plant and extends outward along the soil surface or just beneath it, producing roots and shoots at its nodes. A stolonlike structure behaves in a similar way: it extends from the parent and enables vegetative propagation by giving rise to new plantlets at intervals along its length.

Morphology and function: Stolons or stolonlike features can be aboveground runners or proximal to the surface. They are typically slender and may have reduced or absent leaves. At each node, adventitious roots can form, and in many cases a new shoot emerges, allowing a clone to spread rapidly across the soil.

Difference from rhizomes: While both are modified stems, stolons usually run horizontally at or near the soil surface and are specialized for quick colonization, whereas rhizomes grow underground and are often organized for storage and perennation. Stolons rarely serve as major energy storage organs, unlike many rhizomes.

Examples and uses: In cultivation, many Fragaria species (strawberries) propagate via stolons, and several grasses and groundcovers are stoloniferous, producing creeping runners that root at nodes. The stolon system can contribute to weediness or invasiveness in some habitats, but it also offers a natural means of clonal propagation in horticulture and restoration projects.

See also: stolon, rhizome, vegetative reproduction.