Iridescent Flowers
According to a new report published in Science magazine, bees can tell the difference between iridescent flowers and those that are not. They also learn to return to these flowers for nectar.
It has also been found out that there are a lot more iridescent flowers than was thought before. This trait of flowers cannot be seen by the human eye, only with the help of the ultraviolet part of the spectrum.
Iridescence is when certain objects change colour when looked at from different angles. There are many examples of this in nature like butterfly wings, beetle carapaces, mother-of-pearl and soap bubbles.
The authors of this paper think that this information could be helpful in finding out exactly what attracts insect pollinators.
Flowers need to stand out in order to attract these insects, so this is why there are so many colours, sizes or as of now iridescence.
[Via: PlanetEarthOnline]
Related posts:
- Making Flowers out of Paper is a Great Way to Recycle
- Is there anybody there?
- Flowers That Grow out of Paper
- Blowin’ in the Wind
- Dried Flower Holiday Tree
