Corm

A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground stem of a plant (usually one of the monocots) that serves as a storage organ to enable the plant to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (estivation). A corm is typically surrounded by protective skins or tunics. Inside, a corm is mostly starch-containing parenchyma cells. Corms can be dug up and used to propagate or redistribute the plant (see, for example, taro).

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Externally, they are often similar in appearance to bulbs, and erroneously called by that name, but internally their solid tissue easily distinguishes them from bulbs, which are visibly layered.

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Cultivated plants that form corms include;

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• Many plants of the family Iridaceae grown for their flowers, including Crocus, Gladiolus, Iris, and Montbretia
• Many plants of several families grown as root vegetables; see that article for a list.
Corm: See also ►



 

Plant: Land plants (embryophytes)Non-vascular plants (bryophytes)Hepaticophyta - liverwortsAnthocerotophyta - hornwortsBryophyta - mossesVascular plants (tracheophytes)Lycopodiophyta - clubmossesEquisetophyta - horsetailsPteridophyta - "true" fernsPsilotophyta - whisk fernsOphioglossophyta - adderstonguesS...

Monocots: REDIRECT monocotyledon...

Storage organ: A storage organ is a part of a plant specifically modified for storage of energy (generally in the form of carbohydrates) or water. Storage organs often grow underground, where they are better protected from attack by herbivores. Underground storage organs and the plants that bear them are sometim...