Botany: Floral fluorescence effect
Abstract
The way flowers appear to insects is crucial for pollination. Here we describe an internal light-filtering effect in the flowers of Mirabilis jalapa, in which the visible fluorescence emitted by one pigment, a yellow betaxanthin, is absorbed by another, a violet betacyanin, to create a contrasting fluorescent pattern on the flower's petals. This finding opens up new possibilities for pollinator perception as fluorescence has not previously been considered as a potential signal in flowers.
- Publication:
-
Nature
- Pub Date:
- September 2005
- DOI:
- 10.1038/437334a
- Bibcode:
- 2005Natur.437..334G