Growth of Mangels and Long Beet

Abstract

NUMEROUS observers must have noted in crops of mangels that, attached to portions of the storage organs of these plants, well above soil-level, were numerous lateral roots, hanging in the air and having no contact with the soil. Other lateral roots though still embedded in the soil may have their point of origin several inches above soil-level. Percival¹ points out that in some varieties of mangels the hypocotyl grows up out of the ground. Upward growth of the hypocotyl will not, however, elevate above the soil lateral roots which arise below the level at which the seed was sown. In fact, it is clear in many cases that these lateral roots are raised by the upward growth of the true main root.