Bulb, mass of overlapping, usually fleshy leaves on a short stem, enclosing, protecting, and serving as a source of food for at least one bud that may develop into a new plant. The bulb, usually developed underground, has roots growing down from the stem. The truncated bulb, as in the onion, has tightly overlapping leaves; the scaly bulb, as in garlic, is looser. In common usage the term bulb also refers to bulblike stems, such as the corm of the crocus or the tuber of the dahlia, and even to rhizomes, masses of roots, and some underground stems. See also Rhizome; Tuber.
Popular Posts
-
Plant Cell Plant cells contain a variety of membrane-bound structures called organelles. These include a nucleus that carries genetic... -
All flowers share several basic features. Sepals, protective coverings that are closed over the bud before it blooms, are the outermost flow... -
Archaea or Archaebacteria, common name for a group of one-celled organisms, many of which do not require oxygen or sunlight to live. Before ...
-
Insectivorous Plants, also carnivorous plants, plants that gain some of their nutrition from animals, especially insects, captured by the pl... -
Algae, diverse group of simple, plantlike organisms. Like plants, most algae use the energy of sunlight to make their own food, a proces...
