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Edible plant parts
Most plants are made up of roots, stems, leaves, flowers, buds and produce fruits containing seeds. Plants are living Organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. ROOT is an object-oriented program and library developed by CERN. A stem is one of two main structural axes of a Vascular plant. In Botany, a leaf is an above-ground Plant organ specialized for Photosynthesis. A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also In Botany, a bud is an undeveloped or embryonic Shoot and normally occurs in the Axil of a Leaf or at the tip of the stem The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. A seed (in some plants referred to as a kernel) is a small embryonic Plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat usually with some stored We most commonly eat the seeds (e. g. maize, wheat, coffee and various nuts), fruit (e. Maize (ˈmeɪz ( Zea mays L. ssp mays) known as corn in some countries is a cereal grain domesticated in Mesoamerica Wheat ( Triticum spp is a worldwide cultivated grass from the Levant area of the Middle East. CoFFEE is an Open source Software for computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL in a digital classroom g. tomato and apple), leaves (e. The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum, syn Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a herbaceous usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. g. lettuce, spinach, and cabbage), or roots (e. Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa) is a Temperate annual or Biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. Spinach ( Spinacia oleracea) is a Flowering plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. The cabbage ( Brassica oleracea var capitata) is a leafy garden plant of the Family Brassicaceae (or Cruciferae used as a g. carrots and beets), but we also eat the stems of many plants (e. The carrot ( Daucus carota subsp sativus, Etymology: Middle French carotte, from Late Latin carōta, from Greek karōton The beet or beetroot is a Flowering plant species ( Beta vulgaris) in the family Chenopodiaceae. g. asparagus). Asparagus officinalis is a flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus from which the Vegetable known as asparagus is obtained There are also a few edible petioles (leaf stalks) such as celery, as well as some edible flowers. See also Wild celery Apium graveolens is a plant species in the family Apiaceae, and yielding celery and Celeriac A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also
The role of the plant stem
Plant stems have a variety of functions. A stem is one of two main structural axes of a Vascular plant. Stems support the entire plant and bear buds, leaves, flowers, and fruits. Stems are also a vital connection between leaves and roots. They conduct water and mineral nutrients through xylem tissue from roots upward, and organic compounds and some mineral nutrients through phloem tissue in any direction within the plant. In Vascular plants xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue Phloem being the other In Vascular plants phloem is the living tissue that carries organic Nutrients (known as photosynthate particularly Sucrose, a sugar to Apical meristems, located at the shoot tip and axillary buds on the stem, allow plants to increase in length, surface, and mass. A meristem is a tissue in all Plants consisting of undifferentiated cells ( meristematic cells) and found in zones of the plant where growth can take place Shoots are new plant growth they can include stems, flowering stems with flower buds leaves The axillary bud lies at the junction of the stem and petiole of a Plant. In some plants, such as cactus, stems are specialized for photosynthesis and water storage. A cactus (plural cacti) is any member of the Spine plant family Cactaceae, native to the Americas
Modified stems
Typical stems are located above ground, but there are modified stems that can be found either above or below ground. Modified stems located above ground are crowns, stolons, runners, or spurs. Modified stems located below ground are bulbs (which are actually primarily the enlarged base of the plant's leaves), corms, rhizomes, and tubers. A bulb is an underground vertical Shoot that has modified leaves (or thickened leaf bases that are used as Food Storage organs by A corm is a short vertical swollen underground Plant stem that serves as a Storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions In Botany, a rhizome is a horizontal stem of a Plant that is usually found underground often sending out Roots and Shoots Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store Nutrients They are used by Plants to overwinter and regrow the next year
Detailed description of edible plant stems
- Asparagus
- The edible portion is the rapidly emerging stems that arise from the crowns in the early spring. Asparagus officinalis is a flowering plant species in the genus Asparagus from which the Vegetable known as asparagus is obtained
- Bamboo
- The edible portion is the young shoot (culm). Bamboo is a group of Woody perennial Evergreen Plants in the True grass family Poaceae, subfamily
- Birch
- Trunk sap is drunk as a tonic or rendered into birch syrup, vinegar, beer, soft drinks, and other foods. Birch is the name of any Tree of the genus Betula ( Bé-tu-la) in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the
- Broccoli
- The edible portion is stem tissue, flower buds, and some small leaves. Broccoli is a plant of the Cabbage family Brassicaceae (formerly Cruciferae
- Cauliflower
- The edible portion is proliferated stem and flower tissue. Cauliflower is one of several vegetables in the species Brassica oleracea, in the family Brassicaceae.
- Cinnamon
- The bark is used as a spice. Cinnamon ( Cinnamomum verum, synonym C zeylanicum) is a small Evergreen Tree 10–15 metres (32 A spice is a dried Seed, Fruit, Root, Bark or vegetative substance used in Nutritionally insignificant quantities as a Food additive
- Fig
- The edible portion is stem tissue. Ficus is a Genus of about 850 Species of woody Trees Shrubs Vines Epiphytes and hemi-epiphytes in the family The fig "fruit" is actually an inverted flower with both the male and female flower parts enclosed inside stem tissue.
- Garlic
- The edible portion is predominantly swollen leaves with a bit of stem. Allium sativum L, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the Onion family Alliaceae.
- Ginger root
- The edible portion is a branched underground compressed stem also referred to as a rhizome. Ginger is commonly used as a cooking spice throughout the world
- Kohlrabi
- The edible portion is an enlarged (swollen) stem. Kohlrabi ( German Turnip) ( Brassica oleracea Gongylodes Group is a low stout Cultivar of the Cabbage that will grow almost anywhere It is a member of the cabbage family and is white, green, or purple in color.
- Leek
- Similar to other members in the onion family, the edible portion is swollen leaves with a bit of stem. The leek, Allium ampeloprasum var porrum (L also sometimes known as Allium porrum, is a vegetable which belongs along with the Onion and
- Lotus root
- The edible portion is a stem modified for underwater growth. Nelumbo nucifera is known by a number of common names including Indian lotus, sacred lotus, bean of India, and sacred water-lily Buds and branches are visible on the vegetable sold as lotus root.
- Nopal
- The edible portion is stem segments. Opuntia Nopales are a Vegetable made from the young stem segments of Prickly pear, carefully peeled to remove the spines They are particularly
- Onion
- The edible portion is swollen leaves with a bit of stem. Organicsalsajpg||thumb|right|Onions used in salsa.]]Cooked onions in frying pan They are bulbs which, like garlic and leeks, are modified stems in which the primary storage tissue is expanded leaf bases. They come in white, yellow, and red varieties.
- Potato
- The edible portion is an underground stem that is also a tuber. The potato is a Starchy Tuberous crop Vegetable from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae The "eyes" of the potato are lateral buds. Potatoes come in white, yellow, orange, or purple-colored varieties.
- Radish
- The edible portion is a combination of root and stem tissue, but is mainly stem. The radish ( Raphanus sativus) is an edible Root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family that was domesticated in Europe in pre-
- Sassafras
- The shoots and stem bark are sometimes used to make root beer. Sassafras is a genus of three Sassafras trees grow from 15–35 m (50–120 feet tall and 70–150 cm (2 Root beer, also known as Sarsaparilla, is a carbonated Beverage originally created from Sassafras.
- Shallot
- Also a member of the onion family, the edible portion is mainly swollen leaves with a bit of stem. The term shallot is used to describe two different Allium species of plant
- Sugar cane
- The edible portion is the inner stalk (stem) whose sap is a source of sugar. Sugarcane ( Saccharum) is a genus of 6 to 37 species (depending on taxonomic interpretation of tall perennial grasses (family Poaceae tribe Andropogoneae In its raw form chewing or extraction through a juicer extracts its juice.
- Sugar maple
- Xylem sap from the tree trunks is made into maple sugar and maple syrup. Acer saccharum ( Sugar Maple) is a species of Maple native to the hardwood forests of northeastern North America, from Nova Scotia Maple sugar is what remains after the sap of the Sugar maple is boiled for longer than is needed to create Maple syrup or Maple taffy. Maple syrup is a sweetener made from the sap of Maple trees In Canada and the United States it is most often eaten with waffles and pancakes
- Taro
- The edible portion is the underground stem (corm). Taro (from Tahitian or other Polynesian languages) more rarely kalo (from Hawaiian) and gabi in The Philippines, is a
- White pine
- The sweet inner bark (phloem) was eaten by native Americans. Eastern White Pine' ( Pinus strobus) is a large Pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota
Some wild plants with edible stems
There are also many wild edible plant stems. In North America, these include the shoots of common milkweed, Solomon's seal, wood sorrel (usually eaten with the leaves), blackberry and raspberry (pealed), chickweeds, galinsoga, pokeweed, Japanese knotweed, saxifrage, cleavers, wild leeks, wild onion, nodding wild onion, field garlic, wild garlic, winter cress and other wild mustards, thistles (de-thorned), stinging nettles and wood nettles (cooked), burdock, bellworts, jewelweed, spiderwort, violets, carrion flower, twisted-stalk, amaranth, pine and slippery elm, among many others. Also, some wild plants with edible rhizomes (underground, horizontal stems) can be found, such as cattail, ground nut, Solomon's seal and false Solomon's seal. In Botany, a rhizome is a horizontal stem of a Plant that is usually found underground often sending out Roots and Shoots Typha is a Genus of about eleven Species of Monocotyledonous flowering plants in the Monogeneric family Typhaceae Wild edible tubers include arrowhead, and many more. Tubers are various types of modified plant structures that are enlarged to store Nutrients They are used by Plants to overwinter and regrow the next year It should be noted that wild edible stems, like their domestic relatives, are usually only good when young and growing. Many of these also require preparation (as do many domestic plants, such as the potato), so it would be wise to read up on the plant before experimenting.
See also
- Leaf vegetable
- List of edible seeds
- List of fruits
- List of herbs and spices
- List of vegetables
- Root vegetable
References and external links
- Albuquerque Master Gardeners. Leaf vegetables, also called potherbs, greens, or leafy greens, are plant leaves eaten as a Vegetable, sometimes accompanied A list of edible seeds here includes seeds that are directly foodstuffs rather than yielding derived products This list of culinary fruits contains the names of some fruits that are considered edible in some Cuisines The definition of fruit for these lists is a culinary fruit This is a list of Culinary Herbs and Spices Specifically these are food or drink additives of mostly Botanical origin used in nutritionally insignificant This is a list of Vegetables in the culinary sense This means that the list includes some botanical Fruits such as pumpkins and does not include Herbs Spices Root vegetables are plant roots used as Vegetables Other underground plants are often erroneously called root vegetables (2005, May 23). Basic Plant Science (Botany). Retrieved July 15, 2005, from www.nmmastergardeners.org/Manual%20etc/Supplementfiles/Botany.htm
- Hershey, D. (2001, May 4). Re: What plant parts do we eat?. Message posted to www.madsci.org
- Lineberger, D. (spring 2005). Aggie Horticulture’s edible botany. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/syllabi/201h/ediblebotany/index.html
- McEachern, G. R. (1996, December 9). Figs. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/fruit/figs/figs.html
- Oregon State University Extension Service. (1999). Master Gardener Handbook: external plant parts—stems. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/botany/stems6.html
- Wilson, H. D. (1998, July 7). Plants and People—Botany 328, Lab 1—Plant Vegetative Morphology and Vegetables. Retrieved July 15, 2005, from www.csdl.tamu.edu/FLORA/Wilson/pp/su98/veglablist.htm
- Institute for the Study of Edible Wild Plants & Other Foragables Link
External links
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