MODIFICATIONS OF ROOTS

MODIFICATIONS OF ROOTS

STORAGE ROOTS       

Roots modified to store food in them. e.g. Carrot, turnip, radish, sweet potato etc.

RESPIRATORY ROOTS  

·      Roots modified for respiration.

·      The plants in mangroves or Saline Swampy areas suffer from the lack of oxygen have roots to obtain more oxygen.

·      This is due to the water logged condition of the soil.

·      So, some root branches grow vertically upwards.

·      They become aerial and negatively geotropic.

·  These roots bear many minute pores towards their upper ends. Gaseous exchange takes place through them.

·      Majorly found in are found in Sundarbans of West Bengal.

 

 

PARASITIC ROOTS            

·      These roots arise from the stem and absorb nourishment from the host plant.

·  The roots of parasitic plants penetrate into the host tissues and absorb nourishment. e.g. Cuscuta

 

 

CLIMBING ROOTS

·    Roots which help the plant to climb and cling on to the support.

·      e.g. Money plant, beetel.         

                                                          MONEY PLANT,    BEETEL LEAF PLANT    

REPRODUCTIVE ROOTS          

·      Roots which help in the process of producing the offspring. 

·      e.g., Sweet potato, Dahlia etc. 

 

 

PROP ROOTS

·   Roots which offer support to huge structure of the tree. e.g. Banyan tree. Aerial roots support plants to bear the weight of the branches.

·  For example, prop roots of banyan tree and stilt root of screw-pine gives support.

·      In India, the biggest banyan tree having large number of prop roots is found at Indian Botanical Gardens, Kolkata and Kadiri (Andhra Pradesh).

 

 

FLOATING ROOTS

·      These roots develop from the nodes of floating aquatic plants.

·  They store air, become inflated and spongy, project above the level of water, make the plant light and function as floats.

ASSIMILATORY ROOTS

·      Some roots are green and remain exposed to sunlight. These are known as assimilatory roots. These roots can perform photosynthesis to synthesize
food within it.

·      For example, water-chestnut.