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Rhizome

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Rhizome Meaning

The rhizome is a part of vegetative propagation in the plant. It is a rootstalk which is a creeping type. A rhizome is an underground part of the plant that runs horizontally and has the ability to produce root and shoot systems in plants. The rhizome is also the muscular structure in the plant that can store starch and proteins and helps the plant get the required amount of energy o to penetrate underground. It is a modified stem and helps the plants reproduce vegetatively or asexually. 


Certain plants like bamboo mainly depend on rhizomes for their propagation. In certain aquatic plants like lilies and ferns, the rhizome is like the lifeline as it is the only stem. Although the rhizome is not visible in aquatic plants, it plays a vital role in the mechanism. In certain species, rhizomes can easily be seen, such as ginger and turmeric. And most interestingly, these species are edible for their culinary application.


Rhizomes of Ginger: 

Rhizomes of ginger have several benefits-

As this Rhizome has particular characteristics and pungency, it can be used for foods and beverages. Ginger has several medicinal properties and is found to be beneficial for several diseases like a burning sensation in the alimentary canal, gastrointestinal disorder, and inflammation. It has already proved to be successful medicine in ayurvedic medicine, Unani medicine, and home remedies. It stimulates the digestion process, reduces the lipid content, protective medicine for the cardiac system, antidiabetic and anticancer property. The medicinal properties of ginger rhizome have already been tested scientifically and proved to be successful medicines for multiple disorders. It is recommended to consume this every day to get numerous health benefits.


Banana Rhizomes:  

Banana is famous as the largest herb plant in the world, having larger green leaves with terminal inflorescences. In bananas, the underground stem is reduced and contains several buds in rhizomes. These buds have the capacity to form a new pseudostem and form a fresh bulbous rhizome. In bananas, the rhizomes are popular in the name of success. Vegetative propagation bananas mainly take place through these successes. To get new banana plants, the banana rhizomes are generally cut during the spring season. Well, there is a procedure for getting the banana rhizome.


Turmeric Rhizomes: 

Turmeric is developed in the root region from the rhizome and is an important spic for cooking purposes. The most important component of turmeric is curcumin that has an anti-inflammatory effect. Turmeric also plays an important role to get rid of acne problems. It has various medicinal properties. If we put a mixture of turmeric and milk or coconut oil on the lesions, it will relieve the pain. It is proved to be very important for the hypoglycemic effect that has the ability to tolerate glucose. The curcumin content of turmeric has bioactive compounds. 


Curcumin has the medicinal property to reduce the hypocholesterolemic impact and lowered lipid content under diabetic conditions. Turmeric has anti-aging properties. Turmeric ginger is the primary spice of Indian food and used as the food preservation and coloring agent. In Indian, Ayurved turmeric is used for the preparation of Ayurvedic medicine.


Bamboo Rhizome: 

In Bamboo, rhizomes develop in the underground part, but these are not considered as roots. Roots develop under the Rhizome in bamboo, and culms persist on the top of the Rhizome. The axillary buds are meant for the production of Rhizome and shoots that develop into culm. The Rhizome has nodes and internodes. Generally, three types of rhizomes found in Bamboo.

  • Monopodial Rhizome: 

It is also known as a runner and runs horizontally up to a longer distance. Leaves and stems bore on the nodes of the Rhizome and later developed into stems.

  • Sympodial Rhizome: 

In Bamboo, it is of 2 types such as sympodial tufted and sympodial scattered. In the tufted part, buds are found on the top of the base that develops into shoots. In scattered bamboo's longer petiole are there that forms false Rhizome.

  • Mixpoidal Rhizome: 

Here Axillary buds are present in stems and that develop into rhizomes, and it runs horizontally underground.

Lotus Rhizome:

It is aquatic plants, and only leaves and flowers are present on the top of the water. But here, Rhizome performs a vital function and helps in the storage of foods. In the lotus, the rhizome is an important edible vegetable.


Rhizomatous:

In certain plants like mint and Irish, the bud is solely responsible for producing new roots and shoots. This bud is the modification of a thick horizontal stem known as rhizomatous.

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FAQs on Rhizome

Q: What is Vegetative Reproduction in the Plant?

Ans: It is a method in which plants propagate through leaves, roots, or stems. It can occur through fragmentation or the regeneration of unique vegetative plants. It may be of different types-

 

Natural Vegetative Propagation:

In this type of propagation, the plants are allowed to grow naturally and reproduce without humans' involvement. So new plants or parts develop from roots, leaves, or shoots. From the stem region, several vegetative structures create like rhizomes, tubers, bulbs, and runners.


Runners usually grow horizontally above the ground surface, and nodes develop from the runners. The vegetative plant part that creates from roots known as tubers, which are swollen and buds can be seen at the base of the stem. In certain plants, leaves detach from the plant and develop as a new plant. Bulbs generally grow in the underground part of the branch, and leaves are attached to it. Leaves can store food.

 

Artificial Vegetative Propagation:

It mainly occurs by using specific techniques like cuttings, grafting, layering, and tissue culture.

Q: How is Rhizome Different from Tubers?

Ans: Both Rhizome and tubers grow inside soil tubers that contain fleshy roots. Rhizomes are mainly running horizontally inside the soil, but tubers mainly contain starch and a modification of stem. Adventitious roots present in the roots of Rhizome, but in tubers, no adventitious roots. Rhizomes resemble the shape of a pear, but tubers do not have a particular shape. In Rhizome, roots and shoots emerge from the tubers, but nodes develop to roots and stem. In tubers, Rhizomes are comparatively of smaller size than tubers.