rizóma

Rizóma, or rhizome in English, refers to a horizontal, usually subterranean stem that grows underground and stores nutrients while producing roots from its lower surface and shoots from its upper nodes. In many plants, the rhizome serves as a means of vegetative reproduction, allowing colonies to spread and persist through disturbance.

Morphology and growth characteristics vary by species. A rhizome typically contains nodes and internodes, with roots arising from the lower side and shoots emerging from the upper nodes. It may store starches and other reserves and can give rise to new shoots, leaves, and flowering stalks. Rhizomes are distinguished from other underground or above-ground structures such as tubers (thickened storage ends of stolons or rhizomes), stolons (above-ground runners that produce new plants at nodes), and bulbs (modified leaf bases).

Ecological and horticultural roles are central to the rhizome life form. Rhizomatous plants can form extensive, clonal networks that persist across seasons, resist disturbance, and rapidly colonize favorable habitats. They are common in many groups, including ginger and turmeric, irises, grasses such as certain forms of couch grass, and many ferns. While advantageous in natural settings, rhizomes can also contribute to invasiveness when species escape cultivation.

Propagation and cultivation typically occur through division of the rhizome or planting rhizome segments that contain buds. This method supports asexual reproduction and is widely used for crops such as ginger and turmeric, as well as for ornamental plants.

In philosophy, rizoma is also used to describe a non-hierarchical, network-like model of knowledge and culture, as proposed by Deleuze and Guattari, contrasting with tree-like, linear systems.