Tuesday 11 June 2013

Iris sibirica 'Tropic-night' [Vis UV IR]

Comparison of a Iris sibirica 'Tropic-night' flower in visible light (left), ultraviolet light (centre), and infrared light (right).

In ultraviolet light the flower's throat has clear dark markings along the centre, acting as a Nectar guide to bees and other insects that can see UV light.

In infrared light the flower appears quite monotone, lacking the contrasting patterns on the petals that are present in visible and ultraviolet light. The veins on the petals are just visible in infrared.

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