Identifying Food Storage Organs in Plants

Plants store food in various parts like roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds. These parts often become modified or swollen to accommodate the stored food, which is typically in the form of carbohydrates (like starch) or sometimes fats and proteins. The question asks us to identify which of the given plants stores food primarily in its root.

Examining the Options

Let's look at the options provided and determine which part of the plant is the edible, food-storing part:

• Potato: The edible part of a potato is a modified stem called a tuber. Tubers grow underground and are swollen with stored starch. So, the potato is a stem, not a root, storing food.
• Onion: An onion is a bulb, which is a modified stem surrounded by fleshy leaves that store food. Like the potato, it is a form of modified stem used for storage, not a root.
• Sweet Potato: The edible part of a sweet potato is a swollen, fleshy root. It develops from a fibrous root and becomes enlarged to store a large amount of carbohydrates, primarily starch. This is a classic example of a storage root.
• Ginger: Ginger is a rhizome, which is another type of modified stem that grows horizontally underground. It stores food and is used for vegetative propagation. Ginger is a stem, not a root.

Conclusion

Based on the analysis of each option, the sweet potato is the plant among the choices that stores food in its root. Potatoes, onions, and ginger store food in modified stems.