Bud

Bud Overview

• Woody plants in temperate climates have buds protected by modified leaves called scales.
• Bud scales are covered in a protective substance and may drop off as the bud develops.
• Bud scale scars on stems can help determine branch age.
• Naked buds lack scales and may have underdeveloped hairy leaves.
• Buds can be terminal, lateral, alternate, opposite, or whorled.

Types of Buds

• Buds can be terminal (apical), axillary, or adventitious.
• Buds can be accessory, resting, dormant, or pseudoterminal.
• Buds can be scaly, naked, or hairy.
• Buds can be vegetative, reproductive, or mixed.

Classification Criteria

• Buds classified by location: terminal, axillary, or adventitious.
• Buds classified by status: accessory, resting, dormant, or pseudoterminal.
• Buds classified by morphology: scaly, naked, or hairy.
• Buds classified by function: vegetative, reproductive, or mixed.

Botanists’ Terminology

• Terminal buds are located at the stem tip.
• Axillary buds are found in leaf axils.
• Adventitious buds form elsewhere, like on trunks or roots.
• Resting buds lie dormant until the next growth season.
• Pseudoterminal buds replace terminal buds in some species.

Bud Data Sources