a. [T]he reins of their (Moors) horses were as fire, their faces black as pitch, their eyes shone like burning candles, their horses were swift as leopards and the riders fiercer than a wolf in a sheepfold at night . . .
Appearance. A taproot has a main root, similar in appearance to a carrot, which is also a taproot. In most cases, smaller, auxiliary roots grow laterally all along the main taproot. A fibrous root system is a mass of small roots, with an appearance of a mass of fibers. It can resemble a bird's nest or a ball of yarn. The roots are typically only a few inches long and branch frequently, similar to the canopy of a tree.
Both water and wind act to expose plant roots or destabilize plants. Fibrous root systems help prevent soil erosion as they anchor plants to the top layers of soil. Grasses are an example of a type of plant with densely fibrous root systems that keep soil in place. Taproots anchor plants deeply, helping to prevent the wind from blowing them over and stabilizing plants that grow in areas of shifting soils such as beaches or sand dunes.