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UltravioletPhotography

Hesperis matronalis [Dame's Rocket]: A UV Variant Example


Andrea B.

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Blum, A.G. (2013) A UV Variant Example of Hesperis matronalis L. (Brassicaceae) Dame's Rocket. Flowers photographed in ultraviolet and visible light. http://www.ultraviol...ariant-example/

 

Seal Cove, Maine, USA

17 July 2012

Wildflower

 

Comment:

Rørslett (2013) first showed Hesperis matronalis in ultraviolet(1). Here is another example found growing along a rocky shore on Mount Desert Island. The pink flowers in this specimen show the same UV-absorbing petals with UV-dark center and throat as in Rørslett's pink flowers, but the white flowers are quite a bit brighter in UV and seem to have a smaller UV-dark central area.

Introduced to North America and often cultivated in the garden, Dames' Rocket has become an invasive in many states.

 

Reference:

1. Rørslett, B. 2012. Hesperis matronalis L. (Brassicaceae). Dame's Rocket. Flowers photographed in visible and ultraviolet light. http://www.ultraviol...s-dames-rocket/

2. Dame's Rocket, Alien Plant Working Group, Plant Conservation Alliance, Bureau of Land Management, Washington, D.C.

wgwlink.gif

 

 

Equipment [Nikon D300-broadband + Carl Zeiss 60mm f/4.0 UV-Planar]

 

Visible Light [f/11 for 1/60" @ ISO 200 with onboard Flash and Baader UVIR-Block Filter]

Click the photo to view at 1200 pixel width.

hesperisMatronalisVisFlash_071712sealCoveMdiME_28826pnRes.jpg

 

Ultraviolet Light [f/11 for 1/60" @ ISO 320 with SB-14 UV-modified Flash and Baader UV-Pass Filter]

Click the photo to view at 1200 pixel width.

hesperisMatronalisUVBaadSB14_071712sealCoveMdiME_28831pnRes.jpg

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Interestingly, the albino flowers are UV-different from the normal coloured ones. I wonder how widespread this UV response is.

 

The petals of the normal flowers apparently have much larger patches of conical cells on their upper surface.

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It's always a bit difficult to determine the conical cells because one really needs to use a raking light. I think the white flowers were too much facing the light to be able to see conical cells. Also a closer-up would have been better for seeing them methinks.

 

I've seen this variation in UV absorbtion between blue and white flowers in some Anemone blanda - not yet posted. But you have seen it way back when I posted it on NG. I'll try to get that posted later this evening.

 

We need either a tag or a "special" section for this phenomenon so that we can correlate later.

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