of storage and vascular tissue, and in some
varieties these accumulate different pigments,
so their slices appear striped.
Stems, Stalks, Tubers, and Rhizomes Stems
and stalks have the main function of
conducting nutrients between the root and
leaves, and providing support for the
aboveground organs. They therefore tend to
become fibrous, which is why asparagus and
broccoli stems often need to be peeled before
cooking, celery and cardoon stalks deveined.
The junction between stem and root, which is
called the hypocotl, can swell into a storage
organ; turnips, celery “root,” and beets are
actually part stem, part root. And some plants,
including the potato, yam, sunchoke, and
ginger, have developed special underground
stem structures for nonsexual reproduction:
they “clone” themselves by forming a storage
organ that can produce its own roots and stem
and become an independent — but genetically