Paper: Functional significance of the optical properties of flowers for visual signalling

[enricosavazzi]

van der Kooi et al 2019: Functional significance of the optical properties of flowers for visual signalling. Annals of Botany 123: 263–276.

Link to PDF here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326301773_Functional_significance_of_the_optical_properties_of_flowers_for_visual_signalling

[nfoto]

Thanks. Seems to be a worthy read, indeed. I downloaded the pdf for further scrutiny.

[colinbm]

Thanks for posting this Enrico.

[Andy Perrin]

Thanks! 

[Andrea B.]

Earlier paper:

Kevan, Peter G. (1979) Vegetation and Floral Colors Revealed by Ultraviolet Light: Interpretational Difficulties for Functional Significance. Am. Journal of Botany. 66(6): 749-751

[Andrea B.]

The paper which Enrico references contains a definition which I've been wanting to know. Thanks for posting this Enrico. "-)

 

The saturation of a colour is determined by the slope of the reflectance curve at the inflection points, i.e. the wavelength range where the slope is maximal. Very steep changes in the reflectance curve yield visual signals of high saturation. A decrease in slope yields a more uniform reflectance at different wavelengths resulting in a greyer visual signal, i.e. a visual signal of lower saturation.