Question

Rhizome of ginger is like the roots of other plants that, grows underground. Despite this fact ginger is a stem and not a root. Justify.

Answer 1

Rhizome of ginger is a type of underground modification of stem which grows horizontally underground and bear nodes, internodes and scaly leaves and buds, which gives rise to aerial shoots.

The adventitious root arises from the lower surface of nodes. It is not a root because root does not have nodes and internodes. Further the rhizome donot perform the function of roots, i.e., anchorage and absorption, rather serves as reservoir for storage food. All these characteristics support the fact ginger is a stem and not a root.