ROOT


Meaning of ROOT in English

n.

In botany, the underground anchoring part of a plant.

It grows downward in response to gravity, absorbs water and dissolved minerals, and stores reserve food. Primary root systems have a deep sturdy taproot (in gymnosperms and dicots; see cotyledon ) plus secondary or lateral smaller roots, and root hairs. Grasses and other monocots produce a shallow diffuse mass of fibrous secondary roots. Additional support (e.g., in corn and orchids ) comes from stem offshoots called adventitious, or prop, roots. Fleshy roots that store food may be modified taproots (e.g., carrots , turnips , and beets ) or modified adventitious roots (e.g. cassava ). Tubers such as the potato are modified, fleshy, underground stems, or rhizomes . Aerial roots arise from the stem and either pass for some distance through the air before reaching the soil or remain hanging in the air.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia.      Краткая энциклопедия Британика.