Taproot
A large, central, dominant root from which other roots sprout laterally. Taproots grow deep into the soil, providing stability and access to deep water.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 2 chapters:
"... The Biology of Root Systems A redwood seedling is 3 centimeters tall. You can barely see it above the forest floor. Underground, invisible, its taproot has already pushed 15 centimeters down - five times the height of the visible plant. :::share{variant="purple" label="Invisible Infrastructure"} Tre..."
"...little bluestem and sideoats grama - drought-adapted grasses that had been suppressed during wet years but now thrived. Prairie clover, with its deep taproot accessing subsoil moisture, remained green. The forbs were flowering. Total biomass in these plots had declined, but only moderately."
Biological Context
Carrots, dandelions, and oak trees have taproots. Some taproots reach 4-7+ meters deep. Taproot systems are harder to transplant than fibrous root systems because damage to the main root is severe. Taproots store nutrients and anchor plants against wind.
Business Application
Taproot business structures have deep, central core competencies that everything else branches from. They're stable but less adaptable than distributed structures. Damaging the taproot (core business) threatens the whole organization.