Edible plant stems are one part of plants that are eaten by humans. Most plants are made up of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, buds and produce fruits containing seeds. Humans most commonly eat the seeds (e.g. maize, wheat, coffee and various nuts), fruit (e.g. tomato), leaves (e.g. lettuce, spinach, and cabbage), or roots (e.g. carrots and beets), but humans also eat the stems of many plants (e.g. asparagus). There are also a few edible petioles (leaf stalks) such as celery, as well as some edible flowers.
Contents
- Modified stems
- Detailed description of edible plant stems
- Some wild plants with edible stems
- References
Plant stems have a variety of functions. Stems support the entire plant and have buds, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Stems are also a vital connection between leaves and roots. They conduct water and mineral nutrients through {xylem} tissue from roots upward, and organic compounds and some mineral nutrients through phloem tissue in any direction within the plant. Apical meristems, located at the shoot tip and axillary buds on the stem, allow plants to increase in length, surface, and mass. In some plants, such as cactus, stems are specialized for photosynthesis and water storage.
Modified stems
Typical stems are located above ground, but there are modified stems that can be found either above or below ground. Modified stems located above ground are crowns, [stolon]s, runners, or spurs. Modified stems located below ground are bulbs (which are actually primarily the enlarged base of the plant's leaves), corms, rhizomes, and tubers.
Detailed description of edible plant stems
Andean Tubers & Roots as per: https://courses.cit.cornell.edu/vicosperu/vicos-site/biodiversity_page_4.htm ulluco oca mashua arracacha yacon mauka achira ahipa maca
Some wild plants with edible stems
There are also many wild edible plant stems. In North America, these include the shoots of common milkweed, Solomon's seal, wood sorrel (usually eaten with the leaves), blackberry and raspberry (peeled), chickweeds, galinsoga, common purslane, Japanese knotweed, saxifrage, cleavers, wild leeks, wild onion, nodding onion, field garlic, wild garlic, winter cress and other wild mustards, thistles (de-thorned), stinging nettles and wood nettles (cooked), burdock, bellworts, jewelweed, spiderwort, violets, carrion flower, twisted-stalk, amaranth, pine and slippery elm, among many others. Also, some wild plants with edible rhizomes (underground, horizontal stems) can be found, such as cattail, ground nut, Solomon's seal and false Solomon's seal. Wild edible tubers include arrowhead, and many more. Wild edible stems, like their domestic relatives, are usually only good when young and growing. Many of these also require preparation (as do many domestic plants, such as the potato), so it is wise to read up on the plant before experimenting with eating it.