Terminal bud:

The bud located at the tip of the stem.

Axillary bud:

The bud located between the stem and the leaf petiole.

Leaf scar:

When leaves fall from the stem, they leave a scar.

Girdle scar:

Scars left by the previous year's terminal bud. These form a series of tiny rings around the stem.

The distance between girdle scars indicates the amount of growth that deciduous stems make during one year. The number of girdle scars down a stem indicates the number of years of growth.

In the sample above, there are two girdle scars. This means that the stem is two years old.