Mandrakes ARE humanoid in appearance--we all know it, you all can SEE it. However...once we begin cutting, you’ll very quickly notice just how planty they are. Now, the mandrake plant is, indeed, a root, and if we want to have to be more specific, a branched root. As you can see, the humanoid part is the root, and there are little twiggy branches coming off its ends. Mandrakes most resemble a carrot in how they look about texture, as well as how they take in nutrients from the sun and from dirt and water.