SV: contractile roots, rot

[McClements, Jim]

AEG'rs & Karl-Otto

Yesterday I went out and dug a trillium to cut up (you'll have to join
Trillium-L to find out why and how), and realized that my concept of
contractile roots, as previously posted, was probably erroneous.

As Karl-Otto has pointed out, the newer roots are the ones that are capable
of pulling the bulb/tuber/rhizome down deeper. This should have been obvious
to me as soon as I pointed out that 1.) young plants pull themselves deeper
in pots and 2.) Arisaema roots are essentially "annual" structures.

When I looked at the trillium rhizome, it's obvious that the newer roots,
probably first and second year, are the ones with the rings marking them as
contractile.

Maybe this is something that is well-known to all of you schooled in botany,
and I'd certainly appreciate knowing if my second set of observations and
conclusions are in the right ball park.

Jim McClements