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Abstract
Flower fluorescence has been previously proposed as a potential visual signal to attract pollinators. In this work, this point was addressed by quantitatively measuring the fluorescence quantum yield (Φf) for flowers ofBellis perennis (white, yellow, pink, and purple),Ornithogalum thyrsoides (petals and ovaries),Limonium sinuatum (white and yellow),Lampranthus productus (yellow),Petunia nyctaginiflora (white),Bougainvillea spectabilis (white and yellow),Antirrhinum majus (white and yellow),Eustoma grandiflorum (white and blue),Citrus aurantium (petals and stigma), andPortulaca grandiflora (yellow). The highest values were obtained for the ovaries ofO. thyrsoides (Φf = 0.030) and forCitrus aurantium petals (Φf = 0.014) and stigma (Φf = 0.013). Emitted photons as fluorescence were compared with reflected photons. It was concluded that the fluorescence emission is negligible compared to the reflected light, even for the most fluorescent samples, and it may not be considered as an optical signal in biocommunication. The work was complemented with the calculation of quantum catches for each studied flower species to describe the visual sensitization of eye photoreceptors.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the University of Buenos Aires (project UBACyT X114 2008–2010), to the University of San Martín (project SA08/009), and to the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (BID 1201/OC-AR PICT 938) for the financial support.
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INQUIMAE/Dpto. de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Qca. Física. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires. Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, 1er piso, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Analía Iriel & María Gabriela Lagorio
- Analía Iriel
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- María Gabriela Lagorio
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Correspondence toMaría Gabriela Lagorio.
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Iriel, A., Lagorio, M.G. Is the flower fluorescence relevant in biocommunication?.Naturwissenschaften97, 915–924 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-010-0709-4
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