ease nutrient acquisition and stress tolerance. These associations remodel root architecture and function. Mechanical adaptations and additional support. Adventitious and brace/prop roots (e.g., maize, some mangroves, banyan) provide extra support, anchorage and stability in particular environments. Vegetative propagation. Adventitious rooting on stems, nodes or cuttings allows many species to reproduce asexually and to regenerate after damage; this is widely exploited in horticulture. Notes Many functions overlap: a given root can simultaneously anchor, absorb, store reserves and engage in symbiosis. Root form and function are plastic and shaped by species genetics and environmental context (soil texture, water availability, aeration and mechanical stresses). Types of roots (major rooting system) Plants produce a variety of root systems that differ in origin, structure and function (anchorage, absorption, storage, aeration and vegetative propagation). The two classical, broad categories are taproot and fibrous systems, but several specialised root types — notably adventitious, aerial, prop/stilt, climbing/adhesive, buttress, tuberous (storage) and floating roots — are biologically and ecologically important. Taproot system A taproot system is dominated by a single, vertically growing primary root (the radicle) from which lateral roots arise. Taproots often function in deep anchorage and in storage of carbohydrates and water (common in many dicotyledons and some biennials/perennials). Examples include carrot (Daucus carota), dandelion (Taraxacum) and many true dicots. Fibrous root system A fibrous root system consists of numerous, similarly sized roots that form a dense network near the soil surface. In many species this network is composed largely of adventitious roots that arise from the stem base rather than the primary radicle. Fibrous systems are effective at soil binding, rapid uptake of surface nutrients and erosion control. Typical examples are grasses (Poaceae), wheat and rice. Adventitious roots Adventitious roots arise from non-root organs (stems, nodes, leaves or callus tissue) and play multiple roles: replacing or supplementing the primary root, providing mechanical support, enabling vegetative propagation, and forming specialized root types (aerial roots, prop roots, pneumatophores). They are especially important in mon