Is it okay to refer to bulbs, corms, rhizomes, tubers and tuberous roots as bulbs?
A. It depends on the company you keep. Among true friends who aren’t trying to prove themselves, you may refer to them as bulbs. If you associate with self-conscious experts or “wannabes” who are keeping up appearances, you’d better get your terminology right. If you are pushed to the limit, you might refer to your most annoying critics as “bulbous.
