Root vegetable facts for kids

Root vegetables. (A) Turnip (B) Celidonia menor, Ranunculus ficaria, (C) Rutabaga, (D) Sweet potatoes, (E) Radishes, (F) Carrots

Root vegetables are roots of plants, which are used as vegetables.

Examples of root vegetables are carrots, potatoes, radishes, turnips, and onions.

List of root vegetables

The following list classifies root vegetables organized by their roots' anatomy.

• Thelymitra

Modified plant stem

Taro corms

• Corm
  • Amorphophallus konjac (konjac)
  • Colocasia esculenta (taro)
  • Eleocharis dulcis (Chinese water chestnut)
  • Ensete spp. (enset)
  • Nelumbo nucifera
  • Nymphaea spp. (waterlily)
  • Pteridium esculentum
  • Sagittaria spp. (arrowhead or wapatoo)
  • Typha spp.
  • Xanthosoma spp. (malanga, cocoyam, tannia, yautia and other names)
  • Colocasia antiquorum (eddoe or Japanese potato)

Ginger rhizomes

• Rhizome
  • Curcuma longa (turmeric)
  • Panax ginseng (ginseng)
  • 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)
  • Zingiber officinale (ginger, galangal)

Yam tubers

• Tuber
  • Apios americana (hog potato or groundnut)
  • Cyperus esculentus (tigernut or chufa)
  • Dioscorea spp. (yams, ube)
  • Dioscorea polystachya (Chinese yam, white name or white ñame)
  • Helianthus tuberosus (Jerusalem artichoke or sunchoke)
  • Hemerocallis spp. (daylily)
  • Lathyrus tuberosus (earthnut pea)
  • Oxalis tuberosa (oca or New Zealand yam)
  • Plectranthus edulis and P. esculentus (kembili, dazo, and others)
  • Solanum tuberosum (potato)
  • Stachys affinis (Chinese artichoke or crosne)
  • Tropaeolum tuberosum (mashua or añu)
  • Ullucus tuberosus (ulluku)

Root-like stem

• Zamia pumila (Florida arrowroot)

True root

Turnips, a taproot

• Taproot (some types may incorporate substantial hypocotyl tissue)
  • Arracacia xanthorrhiza (arracacha)
  • Beta vulgaris (beet and mangelwurzel)
  • Brassica spp. (rutabaga and turnip)
  • Bunium persicum (black cumin)
  • Burdock (Arctium, family Asteraceae)
  • Carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus)
  • Celeriac (Apium graveolens rapaceum)
  • Daikon – the large East Asian white radish (Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus)
  • Dandelion (Taraxacum) spp.
  • Lepidium meyenii (maca)
  • Microseris lanceolata (murnong or yam daisy)
  • Pachyrhizus spp. (jicama and ahipa)
  • Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
  • Petroselinum spp. (parsley root)
  • Radish (Raphanus sativus)
  • Scorzonera hispanica (black salsify)
  • Sium sisarum (skirret)
  • Tragopogon spp. (salsify)
  • Vigna lanceolata (bush carrot or bush potato)

Cassava tuberous roots

• Tuberous root
  • Amorphophallus galbra (yellow lily yam)
  • Conopodium majus (pignut or earthnut)
  • Dioscorea polystachya (nagaimo, Chinese yam, Korean yam, mountain yam)
  • Hornstedtia scottiana (native ginger)
  • Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato)
  • Ipomoea costata (desert yam)
  • Manihot esculenta (cassava or yuca or manioc)
  • Mirabilis expansa (mauka or chago)
  • Psoralea esculenta (breadroot, tipsin, or prairie turnip)
  • Smallanthus sonchifolius (yacón)

Images for kids

• 

  Carrot roots in various shapes and colors

See also

In Spanish: Raíz alimenticia para niños