34 V / Qp THE ROOT. 
Of the Root. 
The root (radix) is that part of the vegetable which enters the 
earth, and extends in a direction contrary to the §|-owth of the stem ; 
it supports the plant in an upright position, and at the same time 
gives nourishment to every part of it. There are exceptions to the 
general fact, of a root being fixed in the ground ; some plants, as 
the pond-lily, .grow in water, and are called aquatic, (from aqua, wa- 
ter,) some, like the mistletoe, have no root, but fix themselves upon 
other plants, and derive sustenance from them 3 such are called par- 
asitesJ^ 
The Root consists of two parts, the Caudex, or main body of the 
Root, and the Radicle, or fibres ; these are capillary tubes, which ab- 
sorb the nourishment that is conveyed to other parts of the plant 
This nourishment ascending through the stem, experiences in the 
leaves and green parts of the plant, an important change, effected, in 
part, through the agency of air and light; and a portion of it, 
through a different set of vessels, flows back, in what is called the 
returning sap, or cambium. 
Between the Caudex and ^tem is a point, called the neck, or root 
stock ; any injury to this part is followed by the death of the plant. 
Duration of Roots. 
Roots, with respect to duration, are annual, biemiial, or perennial. 
Annual Roots — are such as live but one year. They come from 
the seed in the spring, and die in autumn, including such as are 
raised from the seed every year ; as peas, beans, cucumbers, &c. 
Biennial Roots — are such as live two years. They do not produce 
any flowers the first season, the next summer they blossom, the seeds 
mature, and the roots die. The roots of cabbages are often, after 
the first season, preserved in cellars during the winter. In the spring 
they are set out in gardens, and produce flowers ; the petals of* 
which, in time, fall off, and the germ grows into a pod which con- 
tains the seed. The root having performed this oflfice, then dies, 
and no process can restore it to hfe ; the flowering is thought to ex- 
haust the vital energy or living principle. The onion, beet, and 
carrot, are biennial plants. 
Perennial Roots — are those whose existence is prolonged a num- 
ber of years to an indefinite period ; as the asparagus, geranium, 
and rose ; also trees and shrabs. Climate and cultivation affect the 
duration of the roots of vegetables. Many perennial plants become 
annual by transplanting them into cold climates : the garden nastur- 
tion, originally a perennial shrub in South America, has become 
in our latitude an annual plant. 
Forms of Roots. 
There are many varieties in the forms of roots ; the most impor- 
tant are the branching, fibrous, spindle, creeping, granulated, tuber- 
ous, and bulbous: 
1st. Branching root, (Fig. 12.) This is the most common kind ; it 
consists of numerous ramifications, resembling in appearance the 
* The word parasite, from the Greek para, with, and sitos, corn, was first applied 
lo those who had the care of the corn used in religious ceremonies, and were allowed 
a share of the sacrifice ; afterward it was apphed to those who depended on the 
great, and earned their welcome by flattery ; by analogy, the term is now applied lo 
plants which live upon others. 
Definition of the root— Aquatic roots— Parasites— Division of the root— Annual roots 
—Biennial— Perennial roots— Classification of roots as founded upon their forms- 
Branching root. 
