Reflectance Measurements of Glossy Petals of <i>Ranunculus lingua</i> (Ranunculaceae) and of Non‐Glossy Petals of <i>Heliopsis helianthoides</i> (Asteraceae)

Galsterer, S; Musso, Maurizio; Asenbaum, Augustinus; Fürnkranz, Dietrich

doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.1999.tb00279.x

Cited by 23 publications

(40 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…When directionally illuminated, buttercup flowers display a strong gloss in addition to an overall matte-yellow colour ( figures 1 and 2). The glossy petals of Ranunculus have fascinated scientists for more than a century [5,22,23,38]. Pioneering work by Parkin [36,37] showed that the starch cells are arranged in a slanted manner and occur in many Ranunculus species.…”

Section: The Coloration Toolkit: a Pigmented Thin Film And Underlyingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…are a clear exception to this rule, as they feature a distinct gloss (i.e. a mirror-like reflection) in addition to their overall yellow coloration [19,22,23]. Previous studies suggested that the gloss is due to the very flat and smooth epidermal layer that acts as a mirror [19,22], possibly enhanced by an air layer immediately below the epidermis [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Inspired by the likely structural origin of the buttercup's glossiness [19,23,24], we present here an in-depth study of the reflection characteristics of Ranunculus flowers. The genus Ranunculus comprises more than 500 species with a virtually cosmopolitan distribution [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Functional optics of glossy buttercup flowers

Kooi

Elzenga

Dijksterhuis

et al. 2017

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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Buttercup (Ranunculus spp.) flowers are exceptional because they feature a distinct gloss (mirror-like reflection) in addition to their matte-yellow coloration. We investigated the optical properties of yellow petals of several Ranunculus and related species using (micro)spectrophotometry and anatomical methods. The contribution of different petal structures to the overall visual signal was quantified using a recently developed optical model. We show that the coloration of glossy buttercup flowers is due to a rare combination of structural and pigmentary coloration. A very flat, pigment-filled upper epidermis acts as a thin-film reflector yielding the gloss, and additionally serves as a filter for light backscattered by the strongly scattering starch and mesophyll layers, which yields the matte-yellow colour. We discuss the evolution of the gloss and its two likely functions: it provides a strong visual signal to insect pollinators and increases the reflection of sunlight to the centre of the flower in order to heat the reproductive organs.

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Section: The Coloration Toolkit: a Pigmented Thin Film And Underlyingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Functional optics of glossy buttercup flowers

Kooi

Elzenga

Dijksterhuis

et al. 2017

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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“…Since the values for photoreceptor excitation are not angle-dependent [14], all measurements were taken in an angle of 45° to the measuring spot with a pellet of barium sulphate used as white standard and a black film can used as black standard. Reflectance measurements were taken in the same direction towards flower petals than transverse sections.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gloss, Colour and Grip: Multifunctional Epidermal Cell Shapes in Bee- and Bird-Pollinated Flowers

2014

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Flowers bear the function of filters supporting the attraction of pollinators as well as the deterrence of floral antagonists. The effect of epidermal cell shape on the visual display and tactile properties of flowers has been evaluated only recently. In this study we quantitatively measured epidermal cell shape, gloss and spectral reflectance of flowers pollinated by either bees or birds testing three hypotheses: The first two hypotheses imply that bee-pollinated flowers might benefit from rough surfaces on visually-active parts produced by conical epidermal cells, as they may enhance the colour signal of flowers as well as the grip on flowers for bees. In contrast, bird-pollinated flowers might benefit from flat surfaces produced by flat epidermal cells, by avoiding frequent visitation from non-pollinating bees due to a reduced colour signal, as birds do not rely on specific colour parameters while foraging. Moreover, flat petal surfaces in bird-pollinated flowers may hamper grip for bees that do not touch anthers and stigmas while consuming nectar and thus, are considered as nectar thieves. Beside this, the third hypothesis implies that those flower parts which are vulnerable to nectar robbing of bee- as well as bird-pollinated flowers benefit from flat epidermal cells, hampering grip for nectar robbing bees. Our comparative data show in fact that conical epidermal cells are restricted to visually-active parts of bee-pollinated flowers, whereas robbing-sensitive parts of bee-pollinated as well as the entire floral surface of bird-pollinated flowers possess on average flat epidermal cells. However, direct correlations between epidermal cell shape and colour parameters have not been found. Our results together with published experimental studies show that epidermal cell shape as a largely neglected flower trait might act as an important feature in pollinator attraction and avoidance of antagonists, and thus may contribute to the partitioning of flower-visitors.

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“…[13] we measured the spectral reflectance of two of the species surveyed ( O. pinnatum and D. sinuata ). As described above, petals were attached with double-sided tape to a glass slide.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Technique for Measuring Petal Gloss, with Examples from the Namaqualand Flora

et al. 2012

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The degree of floral gloss varies between species. However, little is known about this distinctive floral trait, even though it could be a key feature of floral biotic and abiotic interactions. One reason for the absence of knowledge is the lack of a simple, repeatable method of gloss measurement that can be used in the field to study floral gloss. A protocol is described for measuring gloss in petal samples collected in the field, using a glossmeter. Repeatability of the technique is assessed. We demonstrate a simple yet highly accurate and repeatable method that can easily be implemented in the field. We also highlight the huge variety of glossiness found within flowers and between species in a sample of spring-blooming flowers collected in Namaqualand, South Africa. We discuss the potential uses of this method and its applications for furthering studies in plant-pollinator interactions. We also discuss the potential functions of gloss in flowers.

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Reflectance Measurements of Glossy Petals of Ranunculus lingua (Ranunculaceae) and of Non‐Glossy Petals of Heliopsis helianthoides (Asteraceae)

Cited by 23 publications

References 26 publications

Functional optics of glossy buttercup flowers

Functional optics of glossy buttercup flowers

Gloss, Colour and Grip: Multifunctional Epidermal Cell Shapes in Bee- and Bird-Pollinated Flowers

A Technique for Measuring Petal Gloss, with Examples from the Namaqualand Flora

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