Exposure to rainfall inhibits the reflectiveness of glossy buttercup petals
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Keywords
Ranunculus graniticola, structural colouration, pigmentary colouration, ultraviolet reflectance
Abstract
Ranunculus flower petals possess a multilayered structure that enhances the reflectance of ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. This study investigated how water interferes with the structural colouration in Ranunculus graniticola flowers, using spectrophotometry to compare the reflectance of petals exposed to dry versus wet weather conditions. Petals recently exposed to rainfall showed lower reflectance in the visible spectra and almost no UV reflectance; upon returning to dry conditions UV reflectance increased at a linear rate. During rainfall, water invades the air layer between the upper epidermis and the starch layer of the mesophyll, which restricts the scattering effect of the starch cells. The glossy surface of the petals was unchanged by exposure to water, indicating that the gloss is not the cause of the remarkably high UV reflectance seen in Ranunculus flowers. The significance of these results were discussed in relation to two prominent theories about the adaptive purpose of Ranunculus structural colouration.
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