14
SHOOTS
AND ROOTS
You only need to look at a chunky
carrot and the thin tendrils sprouting from
leeks to know that roots come in different
shapes and sizes. Noodle-like fibrous
roots and thick taproots spread out in
the soil beneath vegetable patches.
LEEK
ONION
BEETROOT
Bulbs
A bulb is a stem, which
holds up the parts of the
plant above. It stores
water and transports it
from the roots beneath
to the leaves above.
The white part
of a leek is
formed from
the bases of
its leaves.
Leeks are able
to last through
snowy weather.
The bulb
grows in
spherical
layers.
Fibrous roots
grow out of
the bulb in a
tangled bunch.
Th
e
r
o
u
n
d
p
a
r
t
o
f a
be
e
t
ro
o
t
i
s
i
t
s
s
t
em.
Fibrous roots
These roots
grow downwards and
outwards from the main
stem of the plant.
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