Rhizomes and Rhizomes and Rhizomes... Quiz

Answer: Ginger

The rhizome of Zingiber officinale, usually called ginger root, is used in a number of ways. Ginger is a common flavouring agent in a wide range of foods: sweet foods include gingerbread, ginger ale and candied or crystallised ginger; many Asian dishes use fresh or pickled ginger as a key ingredient, and it can also be made into a tea which is sometimes consumed as a treatment for nausea.

Answer: Hops

Hops are first known to have been used in beer making for the flavour that the flowers add, and their ability to prevent the growth of bacteria that would tend to spoil the beer, in the 9th century. Hops were first cultivated in Germany, and only slowly replaced the previous mixture of herbs, called gruit, used to provide a bitter balance to the sweetness of the malt in beer production. Most cultivated hops are female plants (which reproduce by means of rhizomes), to avoid pollination and the development of seeds, which is undesirable.

When a new field is started from seed, the male plants are culled to allow the female plants to take over.

Answer: Bearded iris

There are over 300 species in the genus Iris, which gets its name from the Greek goddess of the rainbow. They come in a wide range of colours, and those that grow in dry climates usually grow from bulbs, but irises in moister regions, including the bearded irises, use rhizomes to reproduce. Plants have sword-shaped leaves at the base of the stem, which varies in length according to the species, and the six-lobed flowers appear at the top. Bearded irises are usually blue to purple in colour, although breeders have tried to develop red forms. Even the ones that are mostly pink or red still show traces of blue, however.

Answer: Turmeric

Fresh turmeric looks a lot like fresh ginger, but the flavour is quite different, rather pepper-like. Turmeric is used both for the flavour and for the bright yellow colour it adds to a dish. It is sometimes considered "the poor man's saffron", since it is a much cheaper way to impart yellow colour.

A common ingredient in many Asian cuisines, turmeric was cultivated for use as a yellow dye long before it was added to cooking. It is not a great clothing dye, because it fades in sunlight, but it is still commonly used to dye the robes of Buddhist monks. Paper that has been soaked in a turmeric solution (called turmeric paper or curcuma paper) can be used to test solutions for acidity or alkalinity, in a similar fashion to the more familiar litmus paper.

Its endpoint is similar to that of phenolphthalein, with the colour being yellow for pH values under 7.4 (acidic, neutral or very slightly alkaline), changing to reddish-brown in a solution with pH above 9.2.

Answer: Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis is a perennial plant, grown in clumps called crowns. Only the young shoots are eaten, because the adult plant is woody and inedible. In fact, the fruit (a small red berry) is poisonous! Asparagus is most often seen as a green stalk, but white asparagus is considered a delicacy, and is produced by keeping the shoots covered with earth (continuously heaped up as necessary) to prevent photosynthesis from starting, and keeping the stalks white. Purple asparagus, higher in sugar and lower in fibre, was originally developed in Italy.

Answer: Lily of the valley

Convallaria majalis is a woodland plant found throughout cool temperate regions in the northern hemisphere. The plant's classification has changed over the years - it was originally considered to be a member of the lily family, Liliaceae. It is usually seen as apparently separate plants, all connected underground by the extensive rhizome system which it uses to spread. Like a number of other plants, it also reproduces by seed, so if you want to establish it in your garden (making sure that small children will not be able to eat the attractive but highly poisonous berries) to provide a groundcover for a shady spot, you can either plant seeds, or put a grown plant in the desired spot.

It will spread!

Answer: Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera is also known as Indian lotus, sacred lotus and bean of India. An aquatic plant with showy flowers, it is commonly used in water gardens as a decoration. Hindus associate the lotus with several gods, including Vishnu, Lakshmi and Sarasvati.

The lotus has the ability, usually associated with warm-blooded animals, of keeping the temperature in its flowers within a narrow range, which may help it to attract cold-blooded pollinators. The flowers, seeds, leaves and rhizomes are all eaten in Asian cuisines.

Answer: Bamboo

Bamboo is actually the name for a whole group of grasses, widespread in Asia, which are known for the speed with which they grow. Some species have been recorded to grow nearly a metre (3.3 feet) in a single day! While it is common knowledge that giant pandas eat the stems, shoots and leaves of bamboo plants (despite having a carnivorous digestive system), it may surprise you to hear how many other animals also enjoy bamboo.

These include the Nepalese red panda; the bamboo lemurs of Madagascar; African mountain gorillas, chimpanzees and elephants; and of course bamboo shoots are commonly used in Asian cuisines.

Answer: Canna

Cannas are any of the ten (or so) species in the genus canna. They have large colourful flowers (usually, but not always, in the yellow-orange-red range), and have been developed into a popular garden plant. Although the cannas originate in tropical regions, many cultivars have been developed that are suitable for temperate regions, as long as they are protected from winter frosts.

Their rhizomes are one of the richest sources of starch in the plant world, making them a valuable agricultural species for use as an animal food.

Answer: Tussock

Tussock is used to describe any of a range of grasses which grow in clumps, rather than spreading evenly over the ground like a lawn grass. They are usually perennial plants, and can be found in almost any region where other grasses grow. They tend to have a deep root system, so survive well in times of drought and also provide excellent soil stabilisation.