What is the difference in a stem and a petiole?
Collectors often call the support for any single leaf a “stem” Although I doubt this post will change the use of the term, the petiole is actually the part of the plant that supports any leaf and is what most people call a “stem”. The stem is the plant’s base or axis and is the plant’s support. The stem is not the stalk that supports any single leaf. The stalk that connects the leaf blade to the stem of any plant,not just an aroid, is a petiole. Some internet definitions don’t make the distinction clear between a stem and the petiole since the petiole is truly a part of the leaf structure. I asked my friend botanist Dr. Tom Croat to explain, “A leaf consists of a petiole and a blade. A petiole may also have a sheath and a geniculum. As a further twist the geniculum actually extends briefly onto the blade at times so is structurally a part of both the blade and the petiole even though we consider it to be technically a part of the petiole.” When you read statements on sites such as Wiki
