Linda- sorry - may be you will post a pic - hard to understand - tap root - long stem - auxilary leaf - what is it - root - or leaf - or stem?

I usually see elongated stems on babies - they eventually grow out of them. Let's say - rosette with a shortened stem is a result of evolution and adaptation to the small pockets of soil on the rocky valley walls near the running water where the wild species grow. But babies still show the shape of the long stemmed plants - the ancestors of the Saintpaulias.

I.

Hi Irina

"I usually see elongated stems on BABIES"

Think you are right on. This long petiole (in comparison to the baby's other stems)seems to grow after the plant has produced 4 leaves. It's no big deal, I was just curious. I don't know what a tap root is except on the growth of trees. Thank You Irina for responding to this topic. You're the Best!!! junebabe, smiles, Linda

Linda -

my apologies for being a bore - but -

petiole - is a part of the leaf - leaf stalk attaching leaf blade (wide part) to a stem. An AV plant has 1 stem. If it is a trailer it eventually develops more stems. Yes - AVs have a tap root. Trees, carrots, dandelions - everything that belongs to the category "dicots" have tap root, "monocots" - lilies, orchids, wheat - they have fibrous roots.

The source of all this "useful information" is not my memory of the school botany classes - it is Wikipedia. My memory has way too many holes nowdays.

The leaf with especially long petiole on a young plant - I saw them - but I thought that there were too many babies on a mama leaf and not enough light - and they all stretch up. You pot them up - and eventually they grow out of it.

Good Luck and keep looking for the interesting things.

Irina

Sorry to have caused such trouble about such "useful information". My memory seems to have lots of holes in it too these days. I didn't mean to trouble you Irene. Junebabe. Smiles, Linda

Linda -

no trouble, it is fun

i.