Bulb

A bulb is a thick, fleshy bud that typically grows underground. In many plants, such as the tiger lily, it grows above ground, in the mark where the leaves branch from the plant stalk. Bulbs are of two types: the scaly and the tunicate. The scary type bulb as in the majority lilies is made up of a short central core inside of broad, fleshy, scalelike leaves. The tunicate bulb, such as the onion, has fleshy leaf bases in smooth and incessant layers. If an onion is cut in half, the inside looks similar to thickened bands or circles of tissue. Roots usually grow from the base of the bulb. The bulb serves as a storage place with sufficient food and water to provide the plant during winter or a dry period.

The bulb is also a storehouse for new stems, leaves and flowers, after the plant first flowers. In fact, the bulb has in it a new stem and frequently the beginnings of flowers and leaves as well. These are protected inside the bulb by the bulb scales. These scales or leaves are a food storehouse for the plant. The food stored in the bulbs throughout one season is used for the start of the growth of the stem, leaves and flowers during the next season. A number of different kinds of bulbs such as the onion are used for food. Some additional examples of the bulb are the lily bulbs, the tulip bulbs, and the hyacinth.