Leo Vogel, “Quantifying Color Variation in Primula meadia Flowers Using a Spectrophotometer”
Mentor: Jeffrey Karron, Biological Sciences
Poster #200

Pollinators utilize flower color cues to locate pollen and nectar rewards. Flower color variation within populations may be subject to pollinator-mediated selection, with some flower color phenotypes disproportionately visited by pollinators. The color of petals, anthers, and nectar guides is highly variable in populations of shooting star, Primula meadia. The visual spectrum of bees ranges from 300 to 650 nm, which includes the ultraviolet spectrum. Bees have three photoreceptors that detect peak transmission at 340 nm (UV), 430 nm (blue), and 540 nm (“bee green”). Using an Ocean optics Spectrophotometer, I was able to measure color across different parts of the flowers. I divided these parts into petals, petal bases, false nectar guides, anther connectives, and anthers. This displayed the visual contrast that bees are able to perceive within and between shooting star flowers. I expect to find that flower color will generally show a strong contrast to the green background of their surrounding environment.