Jim McKenney wrote: > In a conversation during EWSW09 the topic of color breaking in tulips came > up. I was assured that it was caused by mycoplasma, not viruses. This is interesting. Lily growers have been blaming Tulip (Color) Breaking Virus for infecting lilies with virus for years, and you often see the advice to not grow tulips near lilies. Can't swear to it, but thought I saw pictures of TBV particles taken with an electron microscope, in some of the old lily yearbooks. Not all color breaking in tulips is caused by virus, some of it is "genetic", with no virus particles visible under an electron microscope, so perhaps mycoplasma has a role, but I haven't seen anything on it. Color breaking occurs in a variety of plants, and is not always caused by virus. Camellias can have virus induced variegated flowers, but not all variegated flowers are virused. Evergreen azaleas can have striped/sectored flowers, flakes, picotees, blotches, etc. Dianthus/carnations also can show the same variations in flower color, apparently without virus. Should they now be investigated for mycoplasma? Color breaking may also only show under certain conditions, such as when the plant is stressed. Variegated foliage can be virus induced, but not all variegated foliage has virus particles present. As we learn, we have to "unlearn" some of what we learned when we were younger. Because I'm ignorant, what is EWSW--the 09 part I can guess. Eastern Winter Study Weekend of the ARGS? Ken