94,129
edits
Changes
From Gardenology.org - Plant Encyclopedia and Gardening Wiki
Jump to navigationJump to searchno edit summary
'''Root vegetables''' are underground plant parts used as [[vegetable]]s. They are called root vegetables for lack of a better generic term, but include both true [[root]]s such as [[tuberous root]]s and [[taproot]]s, as well as non-roots such as [[tuber]]s, [[rhizome]]s, [[corm]]s, and [[bulb]]s. Several types contain both taproot and [[hypocotyl]] tissue, and it may be difficult to distinguish the two.
Regardless of anatomical type, root vegetables are generally [[storage organ]]s, enlarged to store energy in the form of [[carbohydrate]]s. They differ in the concentration and the balance between [[sugar]]s, [[starch]]es, and other types of carbohydrate.
Of particular economic importance are those with a high carbohydrate concentration in the form of starch. These '''starchy root vegetables''' are important [[staple food]]s, particularly in tropical regions. They overshadow the [[cereal]]s throughout much of [[West Africa]], [[Central Africa]], and [[Oceania]], where they are used directly or mashed to make [[foufou]] or [[poi (food)|poi]].
== List of root vegetables by anatomical type ==
[[Image:Manihot esculenta dsc07325.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Cassava tuberous roots]]
[[Image:Colocasia esculenta dsc07801.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Taro corms]]
[[Image:YamsatBrixtonMarket.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Yam tubers]]
[[Image:Shallots - sliced and whole.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Shallot bulbs]]
* True root
** [[Taproot]] (some types may incorporate substantial [[hypocotyl]] tissue)
*** ''[[Apium graveolens]]'' ([[celeriac]])
*** ''[[Arctium]]'' spp. (burdock or gobo)
*** ''[[Arracacia xanthorrhiza]]'' (arracacha)
*** ''[[Beta vulgaris]]'' ([[beet]] and [[mangelwurzel]])
*** ''[[Brassica]]'' spp. ([[rutabaga]] and [[turnip (brassica rapa)|turnip]])
*** ''[[Bunium persicum]]'' (black cumin)
*** ''[[Daucus carota]]'' (carrot)
*** ''[[Lepidium meyenii]]'' (maca)
*** ''[[Pachyrhizus]]'' spp. (jicama and ahipa)
*** ''[[Pastinaca sativa]]'' (parsnip)
*** ''[[Petroselinum]]'' spp. ([[parsley]] root)
*** ''[[Raphanus sativus]]'' ([[daikon]] and [[radish]])
*** ''[[Scorzonera hispanica]]'' (black salsify)
*** ''[[Sium sisarum]]'' (skirret)
*** ''[[Tragopogon]]'' spp. (salsify)
** [[Tuberous root]]
*** ''[[Conopodium majus]]'' (pignut or earthnut)
*** ''[[Ipomoea batatas]]'' (sweet potato)
*** ''[[Manihot esculenta]]'' (cassava)
*** ''[[Mirabilis extensa]]'' (mauka or chago)
*** ''[[Psoralea esculenta]]'' (breadroot, tipsin, or prairie turnip)
*** ''[[Smallanthus sonchifolius]]'' (yacón)
* Modified [[plant stem|stem]]
** [[Corm]]
*** ''[[Amorphophallus konjac]]'' (konjac)
*** ''[[Colocasia esculenta]]'' (taro)
*** ''[[Eleocharis dulcis]]'' (Chinese water chestnut)
*** ''[[Ensete]]'' spp. (enset)
*** ''[[Erythronium]]'' spp. (katakuri)
*** ''[[Sagittaria]]'' spp. (arrowhead or wapatoo)
*** ''[[Xanthosoma]]'' spp. (malanga, cocoyam, tannia, and other names)
** [[Rhizome]]
*** ''[[Zingiber officinale]]'' (ginger, galangal)
*** ''[[Curcuma longa]]'' (turmeric)
*** ''[[Panax ginseng]]'' (ginseng)
*** ''[[Arthropodium]]'' spp. (rengarenga, vanilla lily, and others)
*** ''[[Canna (plant)|Canna]]'' spp. (canna)
*** ''[[Cordyline fruticosa]]'' (ti)
*** ''[[Maranta arundinacea]]'' (arrowroot)
*** ''[[Nelumbo nucifera]]'' (lotus root)
*** ''[[Typha]]'' spp. (cattail or bulrush)
** [[Tuber]]
*** ''[[Apios americana]]'' (hog potato or groundnut)
*** ''[[Cyperus esculentus]]'' (tigernut or chufa)
*** ''[[Dioscorea]]'' spp. ([[yam (vegetable)|yam]]s, [[ube]])
*** ''[[Hemerocallis]]'' spp. (daylily)
*** ''[[Helianthus tuberosus]]'' (jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke)
*** ''[[Lathyrus tuberosus]]'' (earthnut pea)
*** ''[[Oxalis tuberosa]]'' (oca or New Zealand yam)
*** ''[[Solanum tuberosum]]'' (potato)
*** ''[[Plectranthus edulis]]'' and ''[[Plectranthus esculentus|P. esculentus]]''. (kembili, dazo, and others)
*** ''[[Stachys affinis]]'' (Chinese artichoke or crosne)
*** ''[[Tropaeolum tuberosum]]'' (mashua or añu)
*** ''[[Ullucus tuberosus]]'' (ulluco)
* Other
** [[Bulb]]
*** ''[[Allium]]'' spp. ([[garlic]], [[onion]], [[shallot]], et cetera)
*** ''[[Camassia quamash]]'' (quamash)
*** ''[[Lilium]]'' spp. (lilies)
== External links ==
{{commons|Category:Root vegetables}}
* [http://www.uga.edu/rootandtubercrops/English/ Root and tuber crops at the University of Georgia]
* [http://waynesword.palomar.edu/vege1.htm Wayne's Word]
* [http://www.pygmies.info/gathering.html Root vegetables gathering]
[[Category:Root vegetables| ]]
Regardless of anatomical type, root vegetables are generally [[storage organ]]s, enlarged to store energy in the form of [[carbohydrate]]s. They differ in the concentration and the balance between [[sugar]]s, [[starch]]es, and other types of carbohydrate.
Of particular economic importance are those with a high carbohydrate concentration in the form of starch. These '''starchy root vegetables''' are important [[staple food]]s, particularly in tropical regions. They overshadow the [[cereal]]s throughout much of [[West Africa]], [[Central Africa]], and [[Oceania]], where they are used directly or mashed to make [[foufou]] or [[poi (food)|poi]].
== List of root vegetables by anatomical type ==
[[Image:Manihot esculenta dsc07325.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Cassava tuberous roots]]
[[Image:Colocasia esculenta dsc07801.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Taro corms]]
[[Image:YamsatBrixtonMarket.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Yam tubers]]
[[Image:Shallots - sliced and whole.jpg|right|240px|thumb|Shallot bulbs]]
* True root
** [[Taproot]] (some types may incorporate substantial [[hypocotyl]] tissue)
*** ''[[Apium graveolens]]'' ([[celeriac]])
*** ''[[Arctium]]'' spp. (burdock or gobo)
*** ''[[Arracacia xanthorrhiza]]'' (arracacha)
*** ''[[Beta vulgaris]]'' ([[beet]] and [[mangelwurzel]])
*** ''[[Brassica]]'' spp. ([[rutabaga]] and [[turnip (brassica rapa)|turnip]])
*** ''[[Bunium persicum]]'' (black cumin)
*** ''[[Daucus carota]]'' (carrot)
*** ''[[Lepidium meyenii]]'' (maca)
*** ''[[Pachyrhizus]]'' spp. (jicama and ahipa)
*** ''[[Pastinaca sativa]]'' (parsnip)
*** ''[[Petroselinum]]'' spp. ([[parsley]] root)
*** ''[[Raphanus sativus]]'' ([[daikon]] and [[radish]])
*** ''[[Scorzonera hispanica]]'' (black salsify)
*** ''[[Sium sisarum]]'' (skirret)
*** ''[[Tragopogon]]'' spp. (salsify)
** [[Tuberous root]]
*** ''[[Conopodium majus]]'' (pignut or earthnut)
*** ''[[Ipomoea batatas]]'' (sweet potato)
*** ''[[Manihot esculenta]]'' (cassava)
*** ''[[Mirabilis extensa]]'' (mauka or chago)
*** ''[[Psoralea esculenta]]'' (breadroot, tipsin, or prairie turnip)
*** ''[[Smallanthus sonchifolius]]'' (yacón)
* Modified [[plant stem|stem]]
** [[Corm]]
*** ''[[Amorphophallus konjac]]'' (konjac)
*** ''[[Colocasia esculenta]]'' (taro)
*** ''[[Eleocharis dulcis]]'' (Chinese water chestnut)
*** ''[[Ensete]]'' spp. (enset)
*** ''[[Erythronium]]'' spp. (katakuri)
*** ''[[Sagittaria]]'' spp. (arrowhead or wapatoo)
*** ''[[Xanthosoma]]'' spp. (malanga, cocoyam, tannia, and other names)
** [[Rhizome]]
*** ''[[Zingiber officinale]]'' (ginger, galangal)
*** ''[[Curcuma longa]]'' (turmeric)
*** ''[[Panax ginseng]]'' (ginseng)
*** ''[[Arthropodium]]'' spp. (rengarenga, vanilla lily, and others)
*** ''[[Canna (plant)|Canna]]'' spp. (canna)
*** ''[[Cordyline fruticosa]]'' (ti)
*** ''[[Maranta arundinacea]]'' (arrowroot)
*** ''[[Nelumbo nucifera]]'' (lotus root)
*** ''[[Typha]]'' spp. (cattail or bulrush)
** [[Tuber]]
*** ''[[Apios americana]]'' (hog potato or groundnut)
*** ''[[Cyperus esculentus]]'' (tigernut or chufa)
*** ''[[Dioscorea]]'' spp. ([[yam (vegetable)|yam]]s, [[ube]])
*** ''[[Hemerocallis]]'' spp. (daylily)
*** ''[[Helianthus tuberosus]]'' (jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke)
*** ''[[Lathyrus tuberosus]]'' (earthnut pea)
*** ''[[Oxalis tuberosa]]'' (oca or New Zealand yam)
*** ''[[Solanum tuberosum]]'' (potato)
*** ''[[Plectranthus edulis]]'' and ''[[Plectranthus esculentus|P. esculentus]]''. (kembili, dazo, and others)
*** ''[[Stachys affinis]]'' (Chinese artichoke or crosne)
*** ''[[Tropaeolum tuberosum]]'' (mashua or añu)
*** ''[[Ullucus tuberosus]]'' (ulluco)
* Other
** [[Bulb]]
*** ''[[Allium]]'' spp. ([[garlic]], [[onion]], [[shallot]], et cetera)
*** ''[[Camassia quamash]]'' (quamash)
*** ''[[Lilium]]'' spp. (lilies)
== External links ==
{{commons|Category:Root vegetables}}
* [http://www.uga.edu/rootandtubercrops/English/ Root and tuber crops at the University of Georgia]
* [http://waynesword.palomar.edu/vege1.htm Wayne's Word]
* [http://www.pygmies.info/gathering.html Root vegetables gathering]
[[Category:Root vegetables| ]]
