Title: Plant stem
Content:  flowers and fruits, transports water and dissolved substances between the roots and the shoots in the xylem and phloem, stores nutrients, and produces new living tissue. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes: The term "shoots" is often confused with "stems"; "shoots" generally refers to new fresh plant growth including both stems and other structures like leaves or flowers. In most plants stems are located above the soil surface but some plants have underground stems. Stems have four main functions which are:  Stems have two pipe-like tissues called xylem and phloem. The xylem tissue transports water by the action of transpiration pull, capillary action and root pressure. The phloem tissue consists of sieve tubes and their companion cells. The two tissues are separated by cambium which is a tissue that divides to form xylem or phloem cells.
Title: Glossary of plant morphology
Content:  Thus, the terrestrial sporophyte has two growth centres, the stem growing upwards while the roots grow downwards. New growth occurs at the tips (apices) of both the shoot and roots, where the undifferentiated cells of the meristem divide. Branching occurs to form new apical meristems. Growth of the stem is indeterminate in pattern (not pre-determined to stop at a particular point). The functions of the stem are to raise and support the leaves and reproductive organs above the level of the soil, to facilitate absorption of light for photosynthesis, gas exchange, water exchange (transpiration), pollination, and seed dispersal. The stem also 
Title: Plant stem
Content: The nodes hold one or more leaves, as well as buds which can grow into branches (with leaves, conifer cones, or inflorescences (flowers)). Adventitious roots may also be produced from the nodes. ; The internodes distance one node from another. Support for and the elevation of leaves, flowers and fruits. The stems keep the leaves in the light and provide a place for the plant to keep its flowers and fruits. ; Transport of fluids between the roots and the shoots in the xylem and phloem(see below) ; Storage of nutrients ; Production of new living tissue. The normal lifespan of plant cells is one to three years. Stems have cells called meristems that annually generate new living tissue.  A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant, the other being the root. It supports 
Title: Edible plant stem
Content:  Edible plant stems are one part of plants that are eaten by humans. Most plants are made up of stems, roots, leaves, flowers, and produce fruits containing seeds. Humans most commonly eat the seeds (e.g. maize, wheat),  fruit (e.g. tomato, avocado, banana), flowers (e.g. broccoli), leaves (e.g. lettuce, spinach, and cabbage), roots (e.g. carrots, beets), and stems (e.g. [asparagus] of many plants. There are also a few edible petioles (also known as leaf stems) such as celery or rhubarb. Plant stems have a variety of functions. Stems support the entire plant and have buds, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Stems are also a vital connection between leaves and roots. They conduct water and mineral nutrients through xylem tissue from roots upward, and organic compounds and some mineral nutrients through phloem tissue in any direction within the plant. Apical meristems, located at the shoot tip and axillary buds on the stem, allow plants to increase in length, surface, and mass. In some plants, such as cactus, stems are specialized for photosynthesis and water storage.
Title: Plant stem
Content:   Stem usually consist of three tissues, dermal tissue, ground tissue and vascular tissue. The dermal tissue covers the outer surface of the stem and usually functions to waterproof, protect and control gas exchange. The ground tissue usually consists mainly of parenchyma cells and fills in around the vascular tissue. It sometimes functions in photosynthesis. Vascular tissue provides long distance transport and structural support. Most or all ground tissue may be lost in woody stems. The dermal tissue of aquatic plants stems may lack the waterproofing found in aerial stems. The arrangement of the vascular tissues varies widely among plant species.
Title: Stromule
Content:  stages of plant development. In general, smaller plastids produce shorter stromules, although the largest plastids, mesophyll chloroplasts produce relatively short stromules, indicating that other factors control stromule formation. In general, stromules are more abundant in cells containing non-green plastids, and in cells containing smaller plastids. The primary function of stromules is still unresolved, although the presence of stromules markedly increases the plastid surface area, potentially increasing transport to and from the cytosol. Other functions of stromules, such as transfer of macromolecules between plastids and starch granule formation in cereal endosperm, may be restricted to particular tissues and cell types.
Title: Underground stem
Content:  the stems are modified to move water and nutrients to and from the leaves and flowers. Stems have nodes with buds where leaves and flowers arise at specific locations, while roots do not. Plants use under ground stems to multiply their numbers by asexual reproduction and to survive from one year to the next, usually over a period of dormancy. Some plants produce stems modified to store energy and preserve a location of potential growth to survive a cold or dry period which normally is a period of inactive growth, and when that period is over the plants resume new growth from the underground stems. Being underground protects the 
Title: Underground stem
Content:  Underground stems are modified plants that derive from stem tissue but exist under the soil surface. They function as storage tissues for food and nutrients, propagation of new clones, and perennation (survival from one growing season to the next). Types include bulbs, corms, rhizomes, stolons, and tubers. Plants have two axes of growth, which can be best seen from seed germination and growth. Seedlings develop two structures or axes of growth, one that develops upward out of the soil, called stems, and structures that develop downward which are called roots. The roots are modified to have root hairs and branch indiscriminately with cells that take in water and nutrients, 
Title: Plant stem
Content:  an interval between two successive nodes. It possesses the ability to elongate, either from its base or from its extremity depending on the species. ; Node: a point of attachment of a leaf or a twig on the stem in seed plants. A node is a very small growth zone. ; Pedicel: stems that serve as the stalk of an individual flower in an inflorescence or infrutescence. ; Peduncle: a stem that supports an inflorescence. ; Prickle: a sharpened extension of the stem's outer layers, e.g. roses. ; Pseudostem: a false stem made of the rolled bases of leaves, which may be 2 to 3 m tall, as in banana. ; Rhizome: a horizontal underground stem that functions mainly in reproduction but 
Title: Plant stem
Content:  in storage, e.g. most ferns, iris. ; Runner (plant part): a type of stolon, horizontally growing on top of the ground and rooting at the nodes, aids in reproduction. e.g. garden strawberry, Chlorophytum comosum. ; Scape: a stem that holds flowers that comes out of the ground and has no normal leaves. Hosta, lily, iris, garlic. ; Stolon: a horizontal stem that produces rooted plantlets at its nodes and ends, forming near the surface of the ground. ; Thorn: a modified stem with a sharpened point. ; Tuber: a swollen, underground storage stem adapted for storage and reproduction, e.g. potato. ; Woody: hard textured stems with secondary xylem. Stems are often specialized for storage, asexual reproduction, protection or photosynthesis, including the following:

Question: what are the main functions of the stem?
Answer: Production of new living tissue.
Storage of nutrients.