Login
Login

bulbil

{{short description|Small young plant that grows from the parent plant's stem}}

{{About|plant anatomy|the bird|Bulbul|asexual propagules in fungi|Bulbil (mycology)}}

File:Dentaria bulbifera (bulbilli).JPG

A bulbil (also referred to as a bulbel, bulblet, and/or pup) is a small, young plant that is reproduced vegetatively from axillary buds on the parent plant's stem or in place of a flower on an inflorescence.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/science/bulbil|title=Bulbil {{!}} plant anatomy|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-02-05}} These young plants are clones of the parent plant that produced them—they have identical genetic material. The formation of bulbils is a form of asexual reproduction, as they can eventually go on to form new stand-alone plants.

Although some bulbils meet the botanical criterion to be considered a true bulb, there are a variety of different morphological forms of bulbils, some of which are not considered to be bulbs. Hence the reason for distinction between bulbs and bulbils. For example, some bulbous plant groups, like onions and lilies, produce bulbils in the form of a secondary, small bulb. Onion and lily bulbils meet the botanical criterion to be labeled a true bulb.{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/science/bulb|title=bulb {{!}} Description, Functions, & Examples|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|language=en|access-date=2019-02-05}} All bulbils produced by bulbous plants are to be considered bulbs, but not all bulbils are to be considered bulbs. For example, other non-bulbous plant groups, like various genera within the subfamily Agavoideae, are well known to produce bulbils that do not actually meet the botanical criterion to be considered a bulb.

{{See also|Bulb#Bulbil}}

Bulbils in Agavoideae

Bulbils on [[Agave vilmoriniana|thumb|right|upright]]

File:Paleoallium billgenseli SR 00-05-23 A.jpg bulbil with flowers]]

Within Agavoideae, bulbils develop on the inflorescence of a blooming plant.{{cite book|title=Agaves of Continental North America|last=Gentry|first=Howard S.|publisher=The University of Arizona Press|year=1982|isbn=978-0816507757|location=Tucson, Arizona}}{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/agavesyuccasrela0000iris|title=Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants : A Gardener's Guide|last=Irish|first=Mary|last2=Irish|first2=Gary|publisher=Timber Press|year=2000|isbn=9780881924428|location=Portland, Oregon|url-access=registration}}{{cite book|title=Agaves: Living sculptures for landscapes and containers|last=Starr|first=Greg|publisher=Timber Press, Inc.|year=2012|isbn=9781604691986|location=Portland, Oregon}} The development of bulbils in this group is common in approximately 17 Agave species, all Furcraea species, and has been somewhat documented in Yucca (particularly Yucca elata), and Hesperaloe. Bulbils can develop quite quickly, many do so after the flowers die, and can persist on the inflorescence for around one to two years before falling to root in the ground. While still on the parent plant, many species develop adventitious roots and can grow to sizes ranging from 5 to 15 centimeters, if left to mature.

Examples

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

Category:Plant morphology

Category:Plant reproduction