(n) :
the above-ground
stalk (technically
axis) of a vascular
plant, and certain anatomically similar, below-ground
organs such as
rhizomes,
bulbs,
tubers, and
corms; a slender supporting member of an individual part of a plant such as a flower or a leaf; also, by analogue the shaft of a feather
"the current crisis stems from the short-sighted politics of the previous government."