Storage organ - Definition and Overview

A storage organ is a part of a plant specifically modified for storage of energy (generally in the form of starch) or water. Storage organs often grow underground, where they are better protected from attack. Underground storage organs are called geophytes.

Because of their high energy content, plants that produce storage organs are a major class of human food crops and are often staple foods. Major examples include the potato (a tuber), sweet potato (a tuberous root) and taro (a corm).

The main classes of storage organs are:

• Bulb
• Corm
• Tuber
• Rhizome
• Tuberous root
• Storage taproot
• Storage hypocotyl
• Pseudobulb

See also

Root vegetable