They provide mechanical support for the above ground parts. They absorb water and nutrients from the soil. They translocate water and nutrients to the above ground parts. In many perennial and biennial species, they are also sites for food storage. This food reserve is used to keep the plant alive through the winter, to resume growth in the spring or after cutting or grazing.
Grasses have a fibrous root system.
These roots are adventitious, arising from the lowest nodes of the stems. Legumes have a tap root system. Legumes roots may also have root nodules, which are the sites for nitrogen fixation. B. Stems 1. Function of Stems.