Importance of Underground Storage Organs in Plants (for Their Survival and Perpetuation and for Human Welfare)

Herbaceous terrestrial plants – both dicots and monocots – are classified as geophytes when they generate underground storage organs like bulbs, corms, tubers, and tuberous roots. These structures allow developing shoot buds to hibernate in order to avoid unfavorable seasonal conditions. With the advent of ideal conditions, the shoot buds will sprout and develop into plants, completing their life cycle. These organs also accumulate nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, water, and secondary metabolites. Plants have therefore evolved this mechanism to endure times of drought and other environmental challenges by protecting shoot buds belowground and providing stored resources. Humans have been cultivating these underground structures as a source of food and nutrition. They are known as roots and tuberous crops. This chapter describes various underground storage organ types, their development, and the significance of these organs for plants and for their propagation, as well as the importance of these organs for human welfare. We additionally discuss the biological activities of the bioactive compounds found in underground organs using a variety of examples, including gigantic taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos), safed musli (Chlorophytum borivilianum), spider lily (Crinum asiaticum), and aromatic ginger (Kaempferia galanga).