rootstock
nounUK /ˈruːtstɒk/
US /ˈruːtstɑːk/
A rootstock is the bottom part of a plant that other plants are joined onto.
The farmer grafted the apple branch onto a strong rootstock.
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A plant's underground stem or root system from which new shoots grow.
The rootstock spread under the soil and sent up new leaves.
3. The original source or foundation from which something develops.
That old story is the rootstock of many modern tales.
4. A person's family line or ancestry.
She traced her rootstock back to a small village.