expect new shoots on nodes without leaves?

ok, got a few females, growin their way up a couple months old about 1.5ft

but as they're growing up the bottom leaves are dying.. i'm looking to cut clones, but im a little uncertain about a few things

a few plants have about 4 nodes running, and 6 lower nodes of leaves dead and gone..

am I to expect a strong stalk? or will new shoots grow from these areas?

the reason i ask, is that a few plants have internode shoots growing with just 2 leaves (almost like the cotyledons), but they're not on all nodes..

if I have just 2 good branches left on a plant at 2 nodes each, what can i expect from the lower area?