rhizome

Examples of rhizome in the following topics:

• Stem Modifications

  • A rhizome is a modified stem that grows horizontally underground; it has nodes and internodes.
  • Vertical shoots may arise from the buds on the rhizome of some plants, such as ginger and ferns.
  • Corms are similar to rhizomes, except they are more rounded and fleshy (such as in gladiolus).
  • Shown are (a) ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizomes, (b) a carrion flower (Amorphophallus titanum) corm (c) Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana) stolons, (d) strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) runners, (e) potato (Solanum tuberosum) tubers, and (f) red onion (Allium) bulbs.

• Asexual Reproduction in Plants

  • Ginger and iris produce rhizomes, while ivy uses an adventitious root (a root arising from a plant part other than the main or primary root), and the strawberry plant has a stolon, which is also called a runner.
  • (c) Ginger forms masses of stems called rhizomes that can give rise to multiple plants.

• The Importance of Seedless Vascular Plants

  • Ferns contribute to the environment by promoting the weathering of rock, accelerating the formation of topsoil, and slowing down erosion by spreading rhizomes in the soil.
  • The licorice fern, Polypodium glycyrrhiza, is part of the diet of the Pacific Northwest coastal tribes, owing in part to the sweetness of its rhizomes.
  • The rhizome also figures in the pharmacopoeia of Native Americans for its medicinal properties and is used as a remedy for sore throat.

• Ferns and Other Seedless Vascular Plants

  • Underground stems known as rhizomes anchor the plants to the ground.
  • The stem may be buried underground as a rhizome from which adventitious roots grow to absorb water and nutrients from the soil; or they may grow above ground as a trunk in tree ferns.

• Temperate Grasslands

  • The vegetation is very dense and the soils are fertile because the subsurface of the soil is packed with the roots and rhizomes (underground stems) of these grasses, which anchor plants into the ground and replenish the organic material (humus) in the soil when they die and decay.