Aurangabad, Sept 9:
The city is witnessing a team of outsiders selling saplings of Tulip and other flower plants. The sellers removed the leaves of these saplings, therefore, it has become difficult to identify them. On account of Ganeshotsav, the sellers are selling green stems on every nook and corner of the important roads in the city for the past many days. The sellers also claim that the saplings start giving beautiful and colourful flowers after 15 days. The buyer is also told that the plant will give flowers during the whole year.
The cost of one sapling is Rs 50 and three saplings is Rs 100. The seller approaches the buyer with a sapling in one hand and a picture of Tulip nursery in another hand. The sellers are selling saplings which give pink, yellow, blue and white colour flowers. To identify the sapling, the stem of the sapling is painted on the edge.
When inquired the details with a seller Lalita Beldar (a resident of Erandol in Jalgaon district), in front of Akashwani, she informed that she along with her husband and 50 other persons had arrived in the city to sell the saplings. These saplings are provided to them by a contractor from Surat and he had apprised them that the sapling starts flowering after a fortnight.
Leaves removed to hide the identity
According to Deogiri College's (Botany Department) Dr Bharat Pandit, " Any sapling can be identified through the leaves. It is impossible to identify saplings as their leaves have been removed by the sellers. On reviewing the sapling it depicts one of the types of hyacinth (Jalparni) plant. Tulip flower plant blossoms in a cold climate. Hence the climate of Marathwada is not suitable for Tulips."