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Tulip flower
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郁金香属百合科，常见的有三种：达尔文郁金香， 胜利郁金香，农舍郁金香，其中又以农舍郁金香最为普遍。郁金香春天开花，是钟状或杯状花。它原产于亚洲，16世纪中期被引进欧洲，受到欧洲各国人民的喜爱，随后还出现了所谓郁金香狂热时代（1634-1637），法国小说家大仲马之作“黑色郁金香”就是描写这个时代的名著。
THE tulip is a member of the lily family (百合科). By crossbreeding, florists have produced thousands of varieties. There are single and double early tulips. There are also taller late types, which bloom in a wide variety of bright colours.
Tulips are divided into 15 classes. In each class there may be hundreds of varieties. Three of the most common classes are Darwin tulips (达尔文郁金香), triumph tulips (胜利郁金香) and cottage tulips (农舍郁金香). All three were developed in the Netherlands by hybridizing original species.
The thick leaves of the Darwin tulip grow on a short stem. The flower stalk is usually much taller. The flowers are nearly rectangular near the base. The tips of the petals are slightly curved in. There are many colours of Darwin tulips. They flower in May.
The triumph tulip resembles the Darwin type but is slightly taller and blossoms about two weeks earlier. This flower too comes in various colours.
Some of the most popular tulip varieties are in the cottage class. These bloom at about the same time as the Darwins and are about the same height. Their petals, however, are not curved in. Some cottage tulips have petals that are rounded at the tip.
The tulip is a native of Asia. It was taken to Europe by way of Turkey. In 1960, at the first horticultural "world's fair", called the Floriade, Rotterdam (鹿特丹) celebrated the 400th anniversary of the introduction of the tulip into the Netherlands. By 1600 the country was a centre of tulip production.
Now millions of bulbs are cultivated each year for export. The tulip's popularity results from its early spring bloom and its great variety of colour and form.
(SD-Agencies)
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