Tulip breaking virus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tulip breaking virus |
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Virus classification  |
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| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
| Phylum: | Pisuviricota |
| Class: | Stelpaviricetes |
| Order: | Patatavirales |
| Family: | Potyviridae |
| Genus: | Potyvirus |
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Tulip breaking virus
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Tulip breaking virus is a special plant virus. It makes tulips and lilies have cool color patterns on their petals. Imagine a flower that's usually one color, but then it gets stripes or flame-like designs! This virus is one of five similar viruses that cause these effects.
The Tulip breaking virus can show up in two ways. One is the severe form, which makes lighter colors appear on tulips. The other is the mild form, which usually causes darker colors to show up.
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How the Virus Changes Flowers
This virus infects the plant's bulb, which is like its underground storage part. Once infected, the virus changes the colors in the petals. How the colors change depends on the type of virus, the kind of plant, and how old the plant was when it got infected. The virus messes with the natural colors, called pigments, inside the flowers.
For lilies, you can see color changes about two weeks after the plant gets infected. The virus can also change the shape of the lily's leaves and flowers.
No matter which form it takes, the virus harms the bulb. This makes it harder for the plant to grow back year after year. Eventually, the bulb might not be able to flower at all. That's why some rare, old "broken" tulips from history don't exist anymore.
A Look Back: History of the Virus
The Tulip breaking virus was once thought to be the first plant virus ever recorded. Now, we know it's the second oldest. The very first was a virus that caused yellowing leaves in 752 AD.
The Tulip breaking virus was first written about in 1576. A professor named Carolus Clusius described it. He thought the color changes were the plant trying to "purify" itself. He also noticed the virus harmed the bulb. But he didn't know a tiny virus was causing it. It took a long time, until after World War I, for scientists to figure out it was a virus. This was surprising because plant viruses had been known since 1897. Before then, people thought things like soil, fertilizer, or even how bulbs were stored caused the changes.
How the Virus Was Discovered
The virus was discovered by Dorothy Cayley. She worked at the John Innes Horticultural Institution in England. She did an experiment where she moved tiny pieces from an infected bulb to a healthy one. She watched to see if the healthy bulb would stay one color or get the "broken" patterns. She found that even a tiny bit of the infected bulb could spread the virus.
Later, scientists found that tiny insects called aphids could spread the virus. The virus lives in the aphid's mouth. When an aphid feeds on a plant, it can pass the virus to it.
In the 1960s, it was finally proven that Tulip breaking virus was indeed a virus. Today, scientists have even studied parts of its genetic code.
Where the Virus Spreads
It's very hard to stop the Tulip breaking virus from spreading. It's found all over the world. It's very common in southern Europe because there are many aphids there. Aphids cause millions of dollars in damage by spreading this virus. Farmers use special oils and sprays to fight these pests.
Scientists studied how aphids spread the virus. They found that the virus starts spreading in April, even though most aphids appear in May.
To help control the virus, countries like the United States and Great Britain do not allow infected bulbs to be sold.
Broken Tulips Today
Most tulips you see with stripes today are specially bred to have those patterns. They are not infected with the virus. However, some tulip fans prefer the look of truly virus-infected plants. Only a few very old "broken" plants are still alive today. This is because the virus hasn't completely stopped their growth. One famous example is a tulip called Absalon from 1780. It has gold flames on a dark brown background.
Today, special optical sensors can detect the Tulip breaking virus. Recent studies show that spectral cameras might be the best tool for finding this virus. But they are only a little more accurate than an expert looking at the plant with their own eyes.
Images for kids
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Gouache on paper drawing, before 1640, of the Semper Augustus. This tulip was famous for being the most expensive during tulip mania. You can see the effects of Tulip breaking virus in the striking streaks of white in its red petals.
