lignotuber

thumb|right|Lignotuber of Cussonia paniculata partly exposed above ground thumb|Cinnamomum camphora|Camphor trees at the Vergelegen Estate thumb|Lignotuber at the Roosevelt Grove of Humboldt Redwoods State Park thumb|Lignotuber actively budding, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park

A lignotuber is a woody swelling of the root crown possessed by some plants as a protection against destruction of the plant stem, such as by fire. Other woody plants may develop basal burls as a similar survival strategy, often as a response to coppicing or other environmental stressors. However, lignotubers are specifically part of the normal course of development of the plants that possess them, and often develop early on in growth. The crown contains buds from which new stems may sprout, as well as stores of starch that can support a period of growth in the absence of photosynthesis. The term "lignotuber" was coined in 1924 by Australian botanist Leslie R. Kerr.