Tuberose, << TOOB rohz, >> is a white flower with a strong odor. It grows wild in tropical America and Asia. The tuberose is raised for use in perfumes and toilet preparations in central Europe, southern Africa, and parts of the United States. In addition, it is grown in Hawaii for use in making leis (wreaths of flowers strung together). The tuberose has a heavy, almost sickening, odor. Its slender stem springs from a tubelike rootstock, and often grows 3 feet (91 centimeters) high. The stem of the tuberose bears waxy-white blossoms and has eight sword-shaped leaves. The tuberose is named for the shape of its rootstock, not for its resemblance to a tube-shaped rose. The tuberose is not a rose.
