The Beauty of a Virus

The flowers are from yesterday's Farmer Market. Tulips and Lilies are the only two genera of plants affected by a 'breaking virus' that causes the cultivar to "break" its lock on a single color, resulting in intricate bars, stripes, streaks, feathering or flame-like effects of different colors on the petals. Like the yin/yang of life, there is a downside to the beauty the virus causes in that the bulb weakens over time. Eventually it has no strength to flower, and either breaks apart or withers away, ending the genetic line.