杏吧原创

In editing the reply by Stephen C. Fry of the University of Edinburgh, UK, to the question: 鈥淲hat factors determine the point on the surface of an apparently homogenous potato at which a new sprout bursts forth?鈥� (26 May), we introduced a note of ambiguity. While the botanical definition of a stem is that it is a structure with 鈥渁 bud 鈥� between the stem and each leaf or branch鈥�, the latter does not apply in the case of a potato. Sorry.