Plant Structure, Function, and UseRoots |
Do monocot and dicot plant root systems differ? |
Yes, the root systems of the monocot and dicot plants do differ. The root system of a monocot plant is a fibrous mass of roots that gives a plant broad exposure to soil water and minerals. The root system of a dicot plant consists of one large taproot with many small secondary lateral roots growing out of it.
Banyan trees like this one in Southeast Asia drop down aerial roots that become supportive trunks, allowing the tree to spread its canopy over hundreds, even thousands of square feet.