Taproot
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A taproot is a large, central, and dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Typically a taproot is somewhat straight and very thick, is tapering in shape, and grows directly downward. In some plants, such as the carrot, the taproot is a storage organ so well developed that it has been cultivated as a vegetable.
A dandelion taproot (left) with the rest of the plant (right)
The edible, orange part of the carrot is its taproot
Root
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In vascular plants, the roots are the organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often below the surface of the soil, but roots can also be aerial or aerating, that is, growing up above the ground or especially above water.
Primary and secondary roots in a cotton plant
The cross-section of a barley root
Large, mature tree roots above the soil
Tree roots at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park