Tunicated With concentric layers, often of fleshy scales. Turgid A plant part that is swollen and full of water. Twiggy Having many divergent twigs.
Other bulbs such as Lilium longiflorum (Easter lily) are called non-tunicate or scaly because their outer scales are succulent and separate.
Tulips are known as tunicate bulbs. This means they have a 'coat' - that's the brown covering like the skin of an onion. Tulips require a cold treatment with a temperature below 40 degrees F for six to eight weeks in order to produce a flower.
Bulbs can typically be separated into two separate categories - tunicate bulbs have a papery skin while scaly bulbs, as the name suggests, have a scaly outer layer. There are also hardy and tender flower bulbs.
See also: Plant, Tunic, Growing, Natural, Bulb
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