In which sexual reproduction does the offspring grow off a root or plant?
The term you might be referring to is "vegetative reproduction," which is a form of asexual reproduction in plants. In this type of reproduction, offspring grow from a vegetative part of the parent plant, such as roots, stems, or leaves. It does not involve sexual reproduction, as there is no involvement of gametes (sex cells) or the fusion of genetic material from two parents.
The reproductive process you are referring to is called vegetative reproduction, not sexual reproduction. In vegetative reproduction, new offspring are produced from parts of a parent plant, such as stems, leaves, or roots. This process does not involve the fusion of male and female gametes, as seen in sexual reproduction. Some examples of vegetative reproduction methods include runners, cuttings, bulbs, tubers, and rhizomes.
The type of sexual reproduction you are referring to, where offspring grow off a root or plant, is called vegetative reproduction or asexual reproduction. In this process, plants can generate new individuals, or offspring, without the need for fertilization or the production of seeds.
To understand how vegetative reproduction works, let's consider some common methods:
1. Runners or Stolons: Certain plants, such as strawberries or spider plants, produce runners or stolons. These are long stems that grow along the ground and eventually root at various points. New plants form at these rooted nodes, creating genetically identical clones of the parent plant.
2. Rhizomes: Some plants, like bamboo or ginger, have underground horizontal stems called rhizomes. These stems produce buds that can grow into new plants. As the rhizome expands, it gives rise to additional shoots, allowing the plant to spread vegetatively.
3. Bulbs: Plants like onions or lilies reproduce through bulbils or bulb division. A bulb is an underground storage structure formed by modified leaves. Bulbils develop on the parent bulb, detach, and then grow into new plants.
4. Tubers: Tubers, such as potatoes, are enlarged underground stems that store nutrients. They can give rise to new plants by the growth of buds, called "eyes," on their surface. Each eye can sprout and grow into a new plant, with the potential to develop its own tubers.
These are just a few examples of vegetative reproduction methods that plants employ to produce offspring that grow off existing roots or plant structures.