Underground bud with fleshy leaves containing a reserve food supply and with roots growing from its base. Bulbs function in vegetative reproduction and are characteristic of many monocotyledonous plants such as the daffodil, snowdrop, and onion. Bulbs are grown on a commercial scale in temperate countries, such as England and the Netherlands.
Red, white, and blue are the pan-Slav colours. The small shields represent Croatia Ancient, Dubrovnik, Dalmatia, Istria, and Slavonia. The flag is based on the tricolour used during World War II. Effective date: 22 December 1990.