Adventitious Root
/ad-ven-TISH-us ROOT/🔬 Anatomy●● Intermediate
Also known as: aerial root, prop root
A root that develops from stem tissue, leaf tissue, or other non-root parts of a plant. Adventitious roots are crucial for vegetative propagation — when stem cuttings form roots, those are adventitious. They also occur naturally: ivy's aerial roots, mangrove prop roots, and the roots that form where a stoloniferous plant touches soil are all adventitious. Many propagation techniques exploit adventitious root formation.
Etymology
Latin adventicius (coming from outside), from advenire (to arrive)
Example
“Stem cuttings of willow readily produce adventitious roots when placed in water.”