Roots, leaves, suckers and runners
Four of the vegetative parts a plant propagates itself by, in order of how far they carry it from where it stands.
Roots
Buds form on the root, push up through the soil and become new shoots.
Examples — curry leaf, breadfruit, bael, guava, blue water lily.
Leaves
Small plantlets, each with its own tiny roots, form on the leaf itself — usually along the notches of the margin — and drop off to root in the soil.
Examples — Bryophyllum, begonia, Epiphyllum.
Suckers
Small plants arising sideways from the base region of a stem sunk in the soil are called suckers. They come up beside the parent and stay close to it.
Examples — paddy, banana, pineapple, camphor, Cyperus.
Runners
Plant stems that travel across the surface of the soil, parallel to the ground and attached to it by adventitious roots, are called runners. Wherever a node touches down and roots, a new plant starts.
Examples — gotu kola, sweet potato, Cassytha.
Sucker or runner?
Both send up new plants beside the parent, so look at the direction of the stem. A sucker comes up from a stem base that is under the soil. A runner lies on top of the soil and travels along it.