Question

Bamboo, grass, and mint stem elongate by the activity of
a) Primary meristem
b) Secondary meristem
c) Intercalary meristems
d) Apical meristems

Answer 1

Hint: The stem of the plant grows because of the action of the auxin. The meristems are the cells that are undifferentiated cells present in the plant which are responsible for the growth of the different parts of the plants.

Complete answer:
The meristems present in the bamboo, grass, and mint stem elongate due to the activity of the intercalary meristem. The intercalary meristem is those meristems that are present on the base of the leaves and are also present on the nodes and internodes. They are responsible for the growth of the plant in the longitudinal direction also they are responsible for the growth of the plant from the nodes and internodes also. They are residual cells of the apical meristems which are left at the nodes and internodes of the plant as well as present at the base of the leaves. In the grass, they also help in the damage repair of the plant leaves as they are present on the base of the leaf blades.

Additional information:
The apical meristems are present at the tip of the root and shoot of the plant. It helps in the growth of the plant and gives rise to new parts of the plant. The hormone auxin also helps it in the growth of the plant. The primary meristem is the meristem responsible for the primary growth of the plant and the secondary meristem is responsible for the secondary growth of the plant. In the primary growth, the plant increases in height, and in the secondary growth the plant increases in width.

So, the answer is ‘intercalary meristems’.

Note: The meristem in the plant are classified on the basis of their location. The apical meristems are present on the tip of the root and stem of the plant. The lateral meristems are present in the vascular bundles and in the cork cambium region whereas, the intercalary meristems are present on the nodes and internodes of the plant.