Fibrous vascular tissue and thick dermal
layers are common causes of toughness in
vegetables.
Plant Organs There are six major plant
organs: the root, the stem, the leaf, the flower,
the fruit, and the seed. We’ll take a closer
look at seeds in chapter 9.
Roots Roots anchor the plant in the ground,
and absorb and conduct moisture and nutrients
to the rest of the plant. Most roots are tough,
fibrous, and barely edible. The exceptions are
roots that swell up with nonfibrous storage
cells; they allow plants to survive temperate-
zone winter to flower in their second year
(carrots, parsnips, radishes) or seasonal
dryness in the tropics (sweet potatoes,
manioc). Root vegetables develop this storage
area in different ways, and so have different
anatomies. In the carrot, storage tissue forms
around the central vascular core, which is less
flavorful. The beet produces concentric layers