Final answer:
Modified stems like rhizomes, stolons, and runners aid in plant reproduction, while corms, tubers, and bulbs store food to help plants survive adverse conditions and propagate new plants.
Step-by-step explanation:
Modified stems provide various advantages to plants. Rhizomes, stolons, and runners are types of modified stems that aid in asexual reproduction, allowing plants to propagate new clones of the parent plant. For example, ginger has rhizomes that can give rise to multiple plants, while strawberry plants produce runners that spread across the soil surface and can form new clone plants.Corms, tubers, and bulbs are other modifications of stems that serve as underground storage organs. These structures store food which is vital for the plant's survival during adverse conditions like winter. Tubers, such as potatoes, are swollen ends of stolons and are rich in starch, featuring adventitious buds from which new plants can grow.
Similarly, a bulb is a storage unit with layers of modified leaves, as seen in onions, and corms store food that can help plants like the gladiolus survive winter.Modified stems in plants provide various benefits. Rhizomes, stolons, and runners give rise to new plants that are clones of the parent plant and also store food. For example, strawberry plants produce runners that can develop into new strawberry plants. Corms, tubers, and bulbs also have advantages for plants. Corms, like gladiolus, store food and enable plants to survive the winter. Tubers, such as potatoes, store starch, providing a source of food. Bulbs, like those seen in irises, function as underground storage units and can produce new plants.