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A mandrake is the root of a plant, historically derived either from plants of the genus Mandragora (in the family Solanaceae) found in the Mediterranean region, or from other species, such as Bryonia alba (the English mandrake, in the family Cucurbitaceae) or the American mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum in the family Berberidaceae) which have similar properties.
These roots have some ability to absorb water and nutrients, but their main function is transport and to provide a structure to connect the smaller diameter, fine roots to the rest of the plant. Contractile roots: roots that pull bulbs or corms of monocots, such as hyacinth and lily, and some taproots, such as dandelion, deeper in the soil ...
The roots can be over a metre long, up to 12 mm thick and are the source of red dyes known as rose madder and Turkey red. It prefers loamy soils (sand and clay soil) with a constant level of moisture, as well as creek beds. [1] Madder is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the hummingbird hawk moth.
Rhodiola rosea (commonly golden root, rose root, roseroot, [2]: 138 Aaron's rod, Arctic root, king's crown, lignum rhodium, orpin rose) is a perennial flowering plant in the family Crassulaceae. [3] It grows naturally in wild Arctic regions of Europe (including Britain), Asia, and North America ( N.B., Nfld. and Labrador, N.S., QC.;
The root system has a pronounced taproot, reaching up to 1.8 m deep. [9] The internally white roots are covered with black bark. Above ground the plant is covered in long, downward-pointing, tapering hairs that are bristly on the stems and softer on the leaves. Along the erect stems grow large simple, mostly stalked leaves in an alternate pattern.
The tap root can be persistent throughout the life of the plant but is most often replaced later in the plant's development by a fibrous root system. [2] [3] A persistent taproot system forms when the radicle keeps growing and smaller lateral roots form along the taproot. The shape of taproots can vary but the typical shapes include:
The roots dry very quickly and are very astringent when fresh, and can cause blistering of the mouth and mucous membranes in humans if ingested fresh. The dried roots do not have this astringent effect. Roots of older plants are far stronger and more bitter than those of younger plants. [citation needed]
Lomatium roots range from woody taproots to more fleshy underground tuberous-thickened roots.The plants are green and grow the most during the spring when water is available, and many species then set seed and dry out completely above ground before the hottest part of the year, while storing the energy they gained from photosynthesizing while water was available to them in their deep roots.