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[[Image:Colocasia esculenta dsc07801.jpg|350px|right|thumb|[[Taro]] corms for sale in a [[Réunion]] market]]
A '''corm''' is a short, vertical, swollen underground stem of a [[plant]] (usually one of the [[monocotyledon|monocots]]) that serves as a [[storage organ]] to enable the plant to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ([[estivation]]). A corm consists of one or more [[internodes]] with at least one growing point, and is typically surrounded by protective skins or tunics. Inside, a corm is mostly starch-containing [[parenchyma]] cells. Corms can be dug up and used to propagate or redistribute the plant (see, for example, [[taro]]).
Externally, they are often similar in appearance to [[bulb]]s, and erroneously called by that name, but internally their solid tissue easily distinguishes them from bulbs, which are visibly layered.
Cultivated plants that form corms include:
* Many plants of the family [[Iridaceae]] grown for their flowers, including ''[[Crocus]]'', ''[[Gladiolus]]'', ''[[Iris (plant)|Iris]]'', and ''[[Montbretia]]''
* Many plants of several families grown as [[root vegetable]]s; see that article for a list.
==See also==
*[[Rhizome]]
*[[Tuber]]
*[[Root vegetable]]
[[Category:Plant morphology]]
[[Category:Plant reproduction]]
A '''corm''' is a short, vertical, swollen underground stem of a [[plant]] (usually one of the [[monocotyledon|monocots]]) that serves as a [[storage organ]] to enable the plant to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ([[estivation]]). A corm consists of one or more [[internodes]] with at least one growing point, and is typically surrounded by protective skins or tunics. Inside, a corm is mostly starch-containing [[parenchyma]] cells. Corms can be dug up and used to propagate or redistribute the plant (see, for example, [[taro]]).
Externally, they are often similar in appearance to [[bulb]]s, and erroneously called by that name, but internally their solid tissue easily distinguishes them from bulbs, which are visibly layered.
Cultivated plants that form corms include:
* Many plants of the family [[Iridaceae]] grown for their flowers, including ''[[Crocus]]'', ''[[Gladiolus]]'', ''[[Iris (plant)|Iris]]'', and ''[[Montbretia]]''
* Many plants of several families grown as [[root vegetable]]s; see that article for a list.
==See also==
*[[Rhizome]]
*[[Tuber]]
*[[Root vegetable]]
[[Category:Plant morphology]]
[[Category:Plant reproduction]]
