ROOT CROPS - World Food: Production and Use - page 165

T A B L E 5.1. Botanical Description of Root Crops

Crop Description Figure

Potato Initially upright growth; later growth

along ground

5.9

Sweet potato,
boniato, yams

Vines growing along the ground 5.10

Cassava Woody stems with lobed leaves on top 5.16

Taro Heart-shaped leaves on top of long stem 5.20

5.4 BOTANICAL DESCRIPTIONS

Root crops have very different physical appearances, which are summarized in
Table 5.1. The potato, sweet potato, boniato, and yam all grow on vine or vinelike
plants. Cassava has a woody stem with leaves at the top. Taro is very different
in that it has a green stem, a heart-shaped leaf, and it can grow both with its roots
submerged in water and in well-drained soil.

5.5 TUBERS

Tubers are enlarged, modified, and specialized structures occurring along and within
roots of certain crops, most notably potato and sweet potato (here we will use the
term tuber to mean only potato, sweet potato, and boniato). These structures serve as
reproductive portions of these plants. Tuber contains “eyes,” shown in Figure 5.5,

Figure 5.5. Potato eye from which a new potato plant can grow.