prop root

American  

noun

Botany.

1. an adventitious root that supports the plant, as the aerial roots of the mangrove tree or of corn.

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prop root British  

noun

1. a root that grows from and supports the stem above the ground in plants such as mangroves

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prop root Scientific  

/ prŏp /

1. An aerial root that arises from a stem or trunk, penetrates the soil, and helps support the stem, as in mangroves.

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Etymology

Origin of prop root

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Corn even has little prop roots at the base of the stalk to buttress it.

From Washington Post

Another very prominent feature of pandans is the presence of air or prop roots which grow from the stem above the ground and are helpful to the plant in various ways.

From Project Gutenberg

Such roots become supporting or prop roots and are particularly conspicuous in several stout tall grasses such as Andropogon Sorghum, Zea Mays and Pennisetum typhoideum.

From Project Gutenberg

Some forms seem to creep along the ground, while others, low and bushy and standing close together, form, with their numerous supporting prop roots, an almost impenetrable jungle.

From Project Gutenberg

If, by accident, the underground roots die off, the plant relies entirely on these air and prop roots for support and food.

From Project Gutenberg