Marsh Marigold UV SecretsThere's more to Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) than meets the eye. The human eye, at least. For humans, the marsh marigold is a uniform yellow bloom. To the honeybee eye, however, the center is highlighted and underlined in contrasting colors. "Color" may not be quite the right word; "wavelength" is perhaps more proper. The extra markings are only visible in ultraviolet (UV) light. These markings emphasize the bloom's most important part, the nectar region. That nectar attracts insects who incidentally pollenate the flower. I've recently been exploring this hidden world in local wildflowers. So far, the marsh marigold has been the most striking. I'm still working on my post-processing skills to bring out a pleasing result in these kinds of photographs. posted: 2012-04-18 23:34:54 • Comments (0) EXIF DATA: |