How did the tap root system get its name? Why is it called "tap root"?

1 Answer
Jul 10, 2015

From the tap of a keg or cask.

Explanation:

When you tap a keg or cask you are hammering in a plug with a spigot on it. If you look at any tap root (dandelions, carrots etc) you can see a big central root with only small fibrous secondary roots coming off of it. The central root looks very much like a plug (tap), and when you pull it out of the ground it even leaves a hole, the same as if you pull the tap out of a keg.

If you look in Webster's you will find the definition of a tap includes:

"a plug for a hole (as in a cask)"

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tap