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.
A fibrous root system has no single large taproot because the embryonic root dies back when the plant is still young. The roots grow downward and outward from the stem, branching repeatedly to form a mass of fine roots.