Rhizomes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An underground stem that grows horizontally and produces shoots and roots for vegetative reproduction serves as both a storage organ and a means of propagation for plant species
2. These stems grow beneath the soil surface, allowing for the production of new shoots and roots, facilitating both nutrient storage and species spread
3. A type of subterranean stem that extends laterally, generating new shoots and roots while functioning as a storage organ, plays a crucial role in vegetative reproduction in various plants

Etymology: "Rhizomes" is the plural of "rhizome," the underground stem that spreads sideways and sends up shoots and roots. The English term comes from the ancient Greek "rhízōma," which is built on "rhiza," meaning "root." The word later gained a second life in philosophy. Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari used it as a metaphor for a way of thinking that spreads through connections in every direction, unlike the branching, tree-like model of hierarchical knowledge.

Synonyms: roots, stolons