A plant's taproot's a somewhat straight tapering root that grows vertically downward. It forms a center from which other roots sprout laterally. Plants with taproots are difficult to transplant. The presence of a taproot's why dandelions are hard to uproot — the top's pulled, but the long taproot stays in the ground, and re-sprouts. A taproot system contrasts to a fibrous root system with many branched roots. Most trees begin life with a taproot, but after one to a few years the main root… (More on Taproot)