Root vegetable
Root vegetables are underground plant parts used as
vegetables. They are called root vegetables for lack of a better generic term, but include both true
roots such as
tuberous roots and
taproots, as well as non-roots such as
tubers,
rhizomes,
corms, and
bulbs. 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 organs, enlarged to store energy in the form of
carbohydrates. They differ in the concentration and the balance between
sugars,
starches, 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 foods, particularly in tropical regions. They overshadow the
cereals throughout much of
West Africa,
Central Africa, and
Oceania, where they are used directly or mashed to make
foufou or
poi.
* 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)
***
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)
***
Sechium edule (chayote)
***
Smallanthus sonchifolius (yacón)
* Modified
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***
Arthropodium spp. (rengarenga, vanilla lily, and others)
***
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. (
yams,
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 spp. (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)
*
Root and tuber crops at the University of Georgia*
Wayne's Word*
Root vegetables gathering |
Taro corms |
 |
Yam tubers |
 |
Shallot bulbs |
