They found that a pre-pattern is set up on the petal surface very early in the flower's formation, long before the petal shows any visible color. The petal acts like a 'paint-by-numbers' canvas ...

News Release 13-Sep-2024 Flowers use adjustable ‘paint by numbers’ petal designs to attract pollinators Peer-Reviewed Publication University of Cambridge ...

"Flowers use adjustable 'paint by numbers' petal designs to attract pollinators." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 15 September 2024. <www.sciencedaily.com / releases / 2024 / 09 / 240913145627.htm>.

The petal acts like a 'paint-by-numbers' canvas, where different regions are predetermined to develop specific colors and textures long before they start looking different from one another.