bulbil

/'bʌlbil/

Thân thiện

A gardener carefully removes a bulbil from the stem of a lily plant.

Definition

Noun: 1. A small bulb or bulb-like structure: A small, often rounded, vegetative growth that can develop into a new plant. It typically forms in the axil of a leaf (where the leaf joins the stem) or in place of a flower. 2. A means of asexual reproduction: In botany, a bulbil is a specialized reproductive structure that detaches from the parent plant to grow independently.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The garlic plant produces bulbils at the top of its flower stalk.
  • Tiger lilies often form small, dark bulbils in their leaf axils.
  • Gardeners can propagate the plant by planting the mature bulbils.

Advanced Usage

• "To produce bulbils": Describes the action of a plant forming these structures.
  • This species of agave rarely flowers but frequently produces bulbils.
• In botanical description: Used to specify location, e.g., "axillary bulbil" or "aerial bulbil".
  • The aerial bulbils are easily dispersed by the wind.

Variants and Related Words

• Bulb (n): The larger, typically underground storage organ from which a plant grows (e.g., tulip bulb, onion bulb). A bulbil is a much smaller, often aerial, version.
• Bulblet (n): A synonym for bulbil, though sometimes used for very small bulbs that form at the base of a parent bulb.
• Cormel (n): A similar small, reproductive structure, but it is derived from a corm (a different type of storage organ) rather than having a bulb-like structure.

Synonyms

• Propagule: A general term for any vegetative structure that can give rise to a new plant.
• Offset: A young plant that develops from the base of the main plant, often larger than a bulbil.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

(Not commonly applicable for this specific botanical noun.)

Related Idioms

(Not commonly applicable for this specific botanical noun.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. small bulb or bulb-shaped growth arising from the leaf axil or in the place of flowers

Từ đồng nghĩa

• bulblet