The word stem has two meanings. For one thing, a scion is a stem that has just sprouted from a plant. On the other, it is a person, specifically someone's child. As for the etymological origin, it comes from the Latin word bastum, which means stick or stick.
An analysis of the term
In colloquial language, the word stem as a synonym for stem is obsolete and instead terms such as bud, cuttings and others are used. On the other hand, the word scion understood as the son or descendant of someone is used more frequently, although it is a cultism.
In common parlance other terms are used, such as son, heir, descendant or successor. In any case, someone refers to his offspring indicating that his son belongs to his lineage and, therefore, is a legitimate son (it should be noted that the concept of legitimate son is opposed to that of bastard son, that is, a person who does not know who his father is).
The idea of stem in its different planes
Anthropologists study the social relations between individuals and the institutions that are being formed within society. One of the most deeply rooted institutions is the family. If a man and a woman have offspring, their children or their offspring are more than just their biological descendants. In this sense, a stem is:
1) the child for whom parents are going to strive,
2) the legitimate heir of the parents' assets and
3) the one who receives an emotional legacy in the family nucleus. Therefore, three dimensions or plans related to the idea of the offspring are observed: an organizational plan of the family itself, a legal plan that allows organizing the inheritance of parents and, finally, an affective and emotional plan.
If we place the concept of stem in the context of botany, it should be noted that the shoots are also called suckers, segments or cuttings.
In any case, the shoots are spoken of as a technique to reproduce plants without resorting to traditional sowing. In this sense, it is necessary to remember that not all plants reproduce by stems or cuttings and because of this, gardeners or horticulturists focus on evergreens to obtain stems, as happens with pine, fir, laurel. Stems can also be obtained from herbaceous plants (soft stem plants) and some indoor plants.
Photos: iStock - baona / skynesher
