Which plant type reproduces by creeping roots and tubers?

Which plant type reproduces by creeping roots and tubers?

• A. Grass
• B. Horsetails
• C. Annuals
• D. Biennials

Answer: (B)

Reproduction through underground storage structures that enable spread without relying on seeds is a hallmark of horsetails. They grow with creeping rhizomes that run beneath the soil and often bear tubers along those runners. Those tubers store nutrients and can sprout into new shoots, giving the plant a way to reproduce and colonize an area asexually, producing genetically identical offspring. Grasses can spread, but not primarily by tubers; they usually rely on seeds or other underground stems. Annuals and biennials mainly reproduce through seeds, completing their life cycles with flowering and seed production rather than tuber-based vegetative spread.

Reproduction through underground storage structures that enable spread without relying on seeds is a hallmark of horsetails. They grow with creeping rhizomes that run beneath the soil and often bear tubers along those runners. Those tubers store nutrients and can sprout into new shoots, giving the plant a way to reproduce and colonize an area asexually, producing genetically identical offspring.

Grasses can spread, but not primarily by tubers; they usually rely on seeds or other underground stems. Annuals and biennials mainly reproduce through seeds, completing their life cycles with flowering and seed production rather than tuber-based vegetative spread.