Tuber
/ˈtuːbɚ/
Definition
Tuber refers to a thickened underground storage organ, usually formed from a stem or sometimes a root, that stores carbohydrates and nutrients for survival and regrowth. Unlike bulbs or corms, a stem tuber has nodes or buds, often called eyes, that can sprout new shoots. Potato is a classic stem tuber. This structure helps plants persist through dormant periods and reproduce vegetatively.
Function in Plants
- Stored energy for regrowth: A tuber holds starch and other reserves that support new shoots and roots when the growing season starts or after dormancy, cold, or drought.
- Asexual spread: Buds on a tuber can produce whole new plants without seed, which helps some species multiply quickly and keeps the new growth genetically the same as the parent.
- Clue for plant identification: Its position and origin matter in botany. A stem tuber has nodes and buds, while a root tuber forms from root tissue and lacks true nodes.
- Useful in propagation: Gardeners often divide a tuber so each piece has a healthy bud or growing point, because sections without one usually do not produce a new plant.