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| Bulbs
Now here's a botanical can of worms. At first glance it looks obvious. The term 'bulb' is actually used to describe those little chaps, like daffodils, tulips and bluebells, that pop up in the spring, flower, the leaves hang around for a bit and by summer they've disappeared - until next spring. A true bulb, such as a daffodil is a modified stem.
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| Corms
Corms such as crocus, gladiolus and freesia are enlarged stem bases, and each year a new corm grows from a bud on the current year's one.
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| Tubers
Tubers such as dahlia, cyclamen, and Anenome blanda are stems or roots that have swollen with food stores. A potato is a stem tuber!
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| Rhizomes
Rhizomes such as bearded iris, ornamental ginger and canna lily are modified stems that creep horizontally underground and produce roots.
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Oh, and if you're wondering why 'bulbs' go to all this bother, it's a 'survival technique'. Many 'bulbs' live in places where the weather gets extreme. Lots of tulips come from Iran and Iraq where summer temperatures would frazzle them. So, they have developed a lifecycle where they 'do their thing' and get back to safety below ground before the harsh weather sets in.
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