Bellflower in UV light. Coloured photograph of bellflower (Campanula patula) flowers in ultraviolet (UV) light. The bull's-eye UV pattern is a result

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Bellflower in UV light. Coloured photograph of bellflower (Campanula patula) flowers in ultraviolet (UV) light. The bull's-eye UV pattern is a result of the flower either reflecting UV (light blue) or absorbing UV (dark blue). This pattern is known as a 'nectar guide' and is thought to attract insect pollinators that can see in UV light. The nectaria at the centre of the flower fluoresces strongly under UV, and is coloured yellow-white. This image was taken on a digital camera adapted to filter and detect UV light. The resulting monochrome image is coloured on computer. See image B804/4370 for the same flower seen in daylight.

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Size: 4028px × 2663px
Photo credit: © BJORN RORSLETT/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: absorbance, absorbing, bellflower, biological, biology, botanical, botany, bulls, bulls-eye, campanula, campanulaceae, duo, electromagnetic, european, eye, flora, floral, flower, flowers, fluoresce, fluorescence, fluorescing, guide, honey, inflorescence, mark, marks, nature, nectar, pair, pattern, patula, petal, petals, photography, plant, plants, pollination, reflectance, reflecting, spectrum, spreading, ultraviolet, uv