Fig. 15.3-18. Transverse section of parsnip root (Pastinaca sativa). Some woods are edible, even if you are not a termite. Although some may argue that parsnips and turnips are anything but edible, at least carrots (Daucus carota) are, and so are beets (Beta vulgaris). All have wood that consists almost exclusively of parenchyma, both axial and ray parenchyma, with just a few vessels and no fibers.