What is Aerial root?
[[File:PohutuAerialroot03.jpg|thumb|230px|The aerial root of a young Pōhutukawa tree (''[[Metrosideros]] excelsa''), Mount [[Wellington]], [[Auckland]], [[New Zealand]]]] [[File:Bali Barat mangroves.jpg|thumb|230px|Mangroves in West [[Bali]] [[National Park]], [[Indonesia]]. Notice the aerial roots]] An '''Aerial root''' is a [[root]] which is above the ground. Different [[plant]]s have grown them. They can have different functions: *For support: Sometimes such roots are grown for support. [[Ivy]] plants have them to cling to [[structure]]s, such as stone walls, or other trees. The [[Banyan]] tree (also known as ''strangler fig'') grows them downward from branches into the forest floor. Eventually, the host tree dies. *Roots for breathing: Some plants grow in environments where there is much water in the soil. They may then grow such roots (upwards) to breathe air. [[Black mangrove]]s have such roots, for example. *As a parasite. [[Parasite]]s sometimes grow these, into the host to get nutrients. One example of this is the [[mistletoe]]. *Roots to propagate: Some plants have above-ground roots. In some places, little plants (with leaves and roots) develop. They will drop off at some point, and develop into new plants (that are clones of the parent). Examples for this are [[strawberry|strawberries]] or the [[spider plant]]. ==Images== <gallery> Image:Ficus mauritiana.JPG|A [[Fig]] has its fruits on an aerial root Image:Pohutukawabranches.jpg|Another Pōhutukawa tree with an aerial root coming from a branch Image:PohutuAerialroot.jpg|Close-up of the aerial root </gallery> == References == {{biology-stub}} [[Category:Plant anatomy]]