A Matter of Contrast: Yellow Flower Colour Constrains Style Length in Crocus species

Lunau, Klaus; Konzmann, Sabine; Bossems, Jessica; Harpke, Dörte

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0154728

Cited by 10 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…In a similar way, wild-type flowers of Antirrhinum majus appear blue to bumblebees, and are both preferred and processed faster than genetically modified mutant flowers of bee-white appearance ( Dyer et al, 2007 ). Nevertheless, it has also to be considered that many flowers are multi-colored, and the effects of such color patterning on pollinators and their preferences for different parts of the spectrum are complex and only starting to be explored ( Lunau et al, 2016 ). In Germany, it was reported that blue flowers more frequently presented higher reward ( Giurfa et al, 1995 ) than alternative flower colors.…”

Section: Plant–pollinator Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fragmentary Blue: Resolving the Rarity Paradox in Flower Colors

Dyer

Jentsch²,

Burd³

et al. 2021

Front. Plant Sci.

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Blue is a favored color of many humans. While blue skies and oceans are a common visual experience, this color is less frequently observed in flowers. We first review how blue has been important in human culture, and thus how our perception of blue has likely influenced the way of scientifically evaluating signals produced in nature, including approaches as disparate as Goethe’s Farbenlehre, Linneaus’ plant taxonomy, and current studies of plant-pollinator networks. We discuss the fact that most animals, however, have different vision to humans; for example, bee pollinators have trichromatic vision based on UV-, Blue-, and Green-sensitive photoreceptors with innate preferences for predominantly short-wavelength reflecting colors, including what we perceive as blue. The subsequent evolution of blue flowers may be driven by increased competition for pollinators, both because of a harsher environment (as at high altitude) or from high diversity and density of flowering plants (as in nutrient-rich meadows). The adaptive value of blue flowers should also be reinforced by nutrient richness or other factors, abiotic and biotic, that may reduce extra costs of blue-pigments synthesis. We thus provide new perspectives emphasizing that, while humans view blue as a less frequently evolved color in nature, to understand signaling, it is essential to employ models of biologically relevant observers. By doing so, we conclude that short wavelength reflecting blue flowers are indeed frequent in nature when considering the color vision and preferences of bees.

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Section: Plant–pollinator Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fragmentary Blue: Resolving the Rarity Paradox in Flower Colors

Dyer

Jentsch²,

Burd³

et al. 2021

Front. Plant Sci.

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“…(Peter and Johnson 2013), and Phaius delavayi (Li et al 2010). Imitations can also be found in the Scrophulariaceae Craterostigma plantaginea and Torenia polygonoides (Magin et al 1989), diclinous begonias (Å gren and Schemske 1991;Schemske et al 1996;Wyatt and Sazima 2011;Castillo et al 2012), and Crocus flowers with stamen-imitating styles (Lunau et al 2016). Additionally, there is an abundance of flowers with conspicuous staminodes (Hardy and Stevenson 2000;Hrycan and Davis 2005;Ushimaru et al 2007;Walker-Larsen and Harder 2000) and various types of imitations in other flowering plants (Bernhardt et al 1984;Simpson et al 1986;Weber 1989;Harder and Barclay 1994;Leins and Erbar 1994;Barthlott 1995;Dobson et al 1996;Peisl 1997;Lunau 2000Lunau , 2007Sigrist and Sazima 2004;Sá-Otero et al 2009).…”

Section: And Klaus Lunaumentioning

confidence: 99%

Pollen and stamen mimicry: the alpine flora as a case study

Lunau

Konzmann

Winter

et al. 2017

Arthropod-Plant Interactions

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Many melittophilous flowers display yellow and UV-absorbing floral guides that resemble the most common colour of pollen and anthers. The yellow coloured anthers and pollen and the similarly coloured flower guides are described as key features of a pollen and stamen mimicry system. In this study, we investigated the entire angiosperm flora of the Alps with regard to visually displayed pollen and floral guides. All species were checked for the presence of pollen-and stamen-imitating structures using colour photographs. Most flowering plants of the Alps display yellow pollen and at least 28% of the species display pollen-or stamen-imitating structures. The most frequent types of pollen and stamen imitations were (mostly yellow and UV-absorbing) colour patches on petals (65% of species displaying imitations), patterns of inflorescences (18%), stamen-like pistils (10%), and staminodes (6%), as well as three-dimensional structures such as convex lower lips and filamental hairs (\5%). Dichogamous and diclinous species display pollen-and stamen-imitating structures more often than non-dichogamous and non-diclinous species, respectively. The visual similarity between the androecium and other floral organs is attributed to mimicry, i.e. deception caused by the flower visitor's inability to discriminate between model and mimic, sensory exploitation, and signal standardisation among floral morphs, flowering phases, and co-flowering species. We critically discuss deviant pollen and stamen mimicry concepts and evaluate the frequent evolution of pollen-imitating structures in view of the conflicting use of pollen for pollination in flowering plants and provision of pollen for offspring in bees.

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“…Crocus species (Lunau et al 2016). A common type of colour pattern in all-yellow flowers is the combination of an orange floral guide with a yellow periphery without any UVpattern like in the California Poppy Eschscholzia californica (Papaveraceae) and Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris (Plantaginaceae).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

False-colour photography: a novel digital approach to visualize the bee view of flowers

2018

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The colour vision system of bees and humans differs mainly in that, contrary to humans, bees are sensitive to ultraviolet light and insensitive to red light. The synopsis of a colour picture and a UV picture is inappropriate to illustrate the bee view of flowers, since the colour picture does not exclude red light. In this study false-colour pictures in bee view are assembled from digital photos taken through a UV, a blue, and a green filter matching the spectral sensitivity of the bees’ photoreceptors. False-colour pictures demonstrate small-sized colour patterns in flowers, e.g. based on pollen grains, anthers, filamental hairs, and other tiny structures that are inaccessible to spectrophotometry. Moreover, false-colour pictures are suited to demonstrate flowers and floral parts that are conspicuous or inconspicuous to bees. False-colour pictures also direct the attention to other ranges of wavelength besides ultraviolet demonstrating for example blue and yellow bulls’ eyes in addition to UV bulls’ eyes which previously have been overlooked. False-colour photography is a robust method that can be used under field conditions, with various equipment and with simple colour editing.

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A Matter of Contrast: Yellow Flower Colour Constrains Style Length in Crocus species

Cited by 10 publications

References 44 publications

Fragmentary Blue: Resolving the Rarity Paradox in Flower Colors

Fragmentary Blue: Resolving the Rarity Paradox in Flower Colors

Pollen and stamen mimicry: the alpine flora as a case study

False-colour photography: a novel digital approach to visualize the bee view of flowers

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