A thickened
undergroundstorage organ
formed by the swelling of a
stem, it usually bears
Multiple growth points scattered over the tuber surface from which
shoots and
roots develop, e.g. a
potato.
A tuber
can last for many years. In some species continually enlarge but
never produce
offsets.
In other form protuberance that can be removed and planted
separately. Roots grow both from its
base and its sides. A tuber should have a
food storage rather than
water storage organ
in the fattened portion. When water storage is prevalent the
swollen stem base may well be definite a
caudex. See tuberous root,
tuberoid
During the
growing season, they put out
fibrous roots to take up
moisture and
nutrients. Typically
grow in a cluster, with the swollen tuberous portions
radiating out from a central point. The growth buds are on the
stem or at the stem
base rather than on the roots themselves like in
rhizomes,
corms or
tubers. In
plant producing annual,
deciduous
shoots new growth
buds, or “eyes”
form at the base of the stem where it meets the tuberous root.
This area is called the crown. Tuberous roots are true root
tissue, unlike tubers, rhizomes, and corms which are
stem tissue, and
bulbs which are
leaf tissue. A tuberose root is not a
taproot or
caudex. Tuberous root
system allows the plant to survive catastrophes which
may kill the above ground parts.
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