Arctotis revoluta [Krulblaar Gousbloom]

[nfoto]

Rørslett, B. 2015. Arctotis revoluta Jacq. (Asteraceae). Krulblaar Gousblom, African Daisy. African flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light.

http://www.ultravioletphotography.com/content/index.php/topic/1514-arctotis-revoluta-krulblaar-gousbloom/

 

Arctotis revoluta Jacq.

Afrikaans: Krulblaar Gousblom

 

This is an aromatic small shrub of South Africa, carrying large daisy-like flower heads all over.

 

I photographed this species in the Cederberg Wilderness Area of South Africa, 3 September 2015. Although species identification in the extremely diversified flora of South Africa is fraught with difficulties and uncertainties, I am very confident the ID is correct.

 

Unfortunately, the visible record(s) were lost to a human error, so the following drawing (from www.plantillustrations.org) has to provide a visible-light reference. The appearance of the phyllaries is well conveyed. The long tip of the outer phyllaries is a shared feature of the species of Arctotis.

 

 

The UV records were made from front and rear of the capitulum.

 

Image reference: ARCT_REV_I1509032575_UV

 

Image reference: ARCT_REV_I1509032577_UV

 

Ultraviolet light: Nikon D3200, Coastal Optics 60 mm f/4 APO lens, Baader U2" (built-in), SB-140 flash.

 

The very different UV rendition of the distal and abaxial sides of the ligules is obvious. This implies the capitula would appear quite different to visiting insects when the flower head is not fully opened to the sun.

 

The flower heads attract a lot of interest from pollinators of various kinds. In the photo below, the UV-dark patches on the ligules are just barely visible. This is the same marginal visibility of UV features one sometimes observe with a dandelion head.

 

(photo credit: Nicky VB, ref. http://www.ispotnature.org/node/468108)

 

http://www.ispotnature.org/sites/default/files/images/19478/7904e0282fe168538bcd8bdcdf82f252.jpg