A preliminary study on the relationship between number of leaves and flower quality and longevity in Tulipa Lanata regel

Tulipa lanata Regel popularly known as Gul-i-Lala in Kashmir for its attractive scarlet blooms is an alien naturalized ornamental found growing wild across the valley. The plant is 3, 4 or 5-leaved and produces solitary terminal blooms on a scape immediately after winter during ending March to beginning of May.4-leaved plants are comparatively more common. Generally 3-leaved plants have flowers with larger fresh and dry weight followed by 5-leaved and 4-leaved plants. The flower on an average lasts for ten days under field conditions while an average vase life of 8 days has been recorded in plain deionized water at room temperature. A general positive relationship between leaf area and floral size, fresh and dry weight, longevity and post harvest life has been recorded during the course of present study.