= Vegetative reproduction
<Vegetative reproduction> is <asexual reproduction> through vegetative <plant> <organs>, rather than through fusion of <gametes>. A <rhizome> can extend below ground and produce a new shoot; a <plant cutting> can form a <root (botany)> system and become independently established. A piece becoming larger is not sufficient: the process must produce a new potential individual.
The offspring usually preserves the parent's genetic combination because ordinary <meiosis> and <fertilization> are bypassed. This makes <vegetative reproduction> useful for propagating a selected <plant>, but does not guarantee complete identity indefinitely: <mutations> can arise during <mitosis>. <Apomixis> supplies a useful comparison, because it can preserve a maternal genetic combination through a <seed> rather than through vegetative <plant> <organs>.
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