Consider the following : 1. Potato 2. Radish 3. Turnip 4. Yam In which of the above are roots used as vegetables ?

In botanical terms, vegetables are classified based on the plant part consumed. Radish and turnip are true taproots, where the primary root thickens to store nutrients [t1][t5]. Yam (Dioscorea) is classified as a tuberous root or a root tuber, serving as an underground storage organ [c1][t9]. While some culinary definitions group all underground parts together, botanically, the potato is a modified underground stem known as a stem tuber, characterized by 'eyes' or nodes from which new shoots emerge [c4][t4][t6]. Therefore, while radish, turnip, and yam are roots (or root-derived structures), the potato is a stem. Consequently, options 2, 3, and 4 are the vegetables where roots are used, making option 2 (2, 3, and 4) the correct choice.

Sources

1. [1] Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Tropical Tuber Crops > p. 87
2. [2] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 13: Our Home: Earth, a Unique Life Sustaining Planet > Activity 13.3: Let us find out > p. 221
3. [3] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10405133/