Root system of Common Bent grass, Agrostis tenuis. Common Bent is a perennial grass, common in the wild throughout the UK and also a frequent componen

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Root system of Common Bent grass, Agrostis tenuis. Common Bent is a perennial grass, common in the wild throughout the UK and also a frequent component of lawn mixtures. Perennial plants have persistent ( secondary ) roots that are lignified ( here brown in colour ). Each season, new primary roots are produced, here white. In general roots grow downwards due to the effect of gravity, which is sensed in the root tip ( positive geotropism ). Behind the root tip lateral roots are formed which may grow horizontally is order to exploit a wider volume of soil. Water and mineral absorption is increased by the formation of very fine root hairs behind each growing tip, which increase the effective surface area of the root enormously.

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Size: 3468px × 5212px
Photo credit: © DR JEREMY BURGESS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: agrostis, bent, biological, biology, botanical, botany, common, geotropism, gras, grass, hair, lateral, lawn, primary, root, secondary, tenuis