The diversity of flower colour: How and why?

Abstract

The diversity of fl ower colour has astonished artists, gardeners and scientists for centuries. Flowers generatecolour by refl ecting only a subset of the wavelengths which make up white light, resulting in a coloured appearance.This is achieved either through the use of chemical pigments which absorb certain wavelengths, or by the use of structures which refl ect only certain wavelengths. Chemical colour has been well studied in plants, andthe three major pigment groups are fl avonoids, carotenoids and betalains. Spatial and temporal regulation ofthe synthesis of these pigments gives pattern and depth of colour to the fl ower. Combinations of pigments canresult in variations in fi nal fl ower colour, while the addition of metal ions and the alteration of cell pH can alsoinfl uence the fi nal wavelengths absorbed by pigments. Focussing light into the pigment-containing regions ofthe cell, using specialised cell shapes, also infl uences intensity of fl ower colour. Structural colour, including iridescence, is produced independently of pigment colour, and can overlay it. Flower colour itself is viewed as an advertisement to attract pollinating animals to the rewards (usually nectar) contained within the fl ower. This article concludes with an analysis of the long-running debate over whether specifi c fl ower colours attractspecifi c pollinators, or whether all colours are simply different ways of attracting a wide variety of animals. © 2009 WIT Press.