Heat drastically alters floral color and pigment composition without affecting flower conspicuousness.

ABSTRACT:

Premise

Floral pigments primarily serve to attract pollinators through color display and also contribute to protection against environmental stress. Although pigment composition can be plastically altered under stress, its impact on pollinator color perception remains poorly understood. Moricandia arvensis (Brassicaceae) exhibits seasonal floral dimorphism, with lilac spring flowers and white summer flowers. This study examines how heat-driven shifts in floral pigments alter flower color and its perception by pollinators.

Methods

We conducted a comparative analysis of spring and summer floral morphs in a natural population by measuring petal spectral reflectance, analyzing absorption spectra of petal extracts, and modeling floral color in the visual systems of major pollinat

SUBMITTER: Narbona E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12816441 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature