Adventitious Roots

Adventitious roots are roots that grow from the hypocotyl region of the stem of a vascular plant. In general, adventitious refers to any organ that grows in an unusual place anatomically, such as the stem compared to the primary root, taproot, or radicle of a plant (which make up the typical root system). These roots are formed approximately the same diameter.

Adventitious roots are minor roots in plants that utilize a taproot system, such as all eudicots, and are major roots in all plants that utilize a fibrous root system, such as all monocots. In the latter category of the plants, the primary and lateral roots grown from the radicle die off; instead, the adventitious roots comprise the entire fibrous root system.