MCQ Detailed View

In plants, stems are usually above ground and help support leaves, flowers, and fruits. However, some plants develop underground stems, also called rhizomes, tubers, or corms, which grow beneath the soil surface. These structures often serve as storage organs for nutrients and can be edible.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is an example of an edible underground stem, specifically a rhizome. The ginger rhizome stores carbohydrates, vitamins, and essential oils, which not only nourish the plant but also make it useful for human consumption. Ginger is widely used as a spice, flavoring, and natural remedy in cooking and medicine.

Other options in the question are different plant structures:

• 
  

  Sweet Potato: This is an edible tuberous root, not a stem.

  
  


• 
  

  Sugarcane: This is an above-ground stem used for sugar production but is not underground.

  
  


• 
  

  Radish: This is an edible root, not a stem.

  
  

Underground stems like rhizomes can reproduce vegetatively, allowing the plant to grow new shoots from nodes on the stem. They are important in agriculture and horticulture because they can be harvested and consumed, or used to propagate plants.

Understanding the differences between roots and underground stems is a key concept in plant anatomy and Botany, which is a branch of biology. Recognizing edible stems helps in identifying food sources, studying plant growth, and applying knowledge in agriculture and nutrition.

Thus, among the given options, the correct answer is Ginger, as it is the only edible underground stem in the list.