Taproot

This article is about the plant root system. For other uses, see Taproot (disambiguation).
The two types of root systems in plants. The fibrous-root system (A) is characterized by many roots with similar sizes. In contrast, plants that use the taproot system (B) grow a main root, with smaller roots branching off. The letters indicate where the root systems begin.

A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward.[1] In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot is a storage organ so well developed that it has been cultivated as a vegetable.

The taproot system contrasts with the adventitious- or fibrous-root system of plants with many branched roots, but many plants that grow a taproot during germination go on to develop branching root structures, although some that rely on the main root for storage may retain the dominant taproot for centuries—for example, Welwitschia.

  1. ^ "Botany Manual". Ohio State University. Archived from the original on 2004-08-06.