The majority of plant colours are produced by anthocyanin and carotenoid pigments, but colouration obtained by nanostructured materials (i.e. structural colours) is increasingly reported in plants. Here, we identify a multilayer photonic structure in the fruits of We used a combination of transmission electron microscopy (EM), serial EM tomography, scanning force microscopy and optical simulations to characterise the photonic structure in We found that the structural colour derives from a disordered, multilayered reflector consisting of lipid droplets of
Structural color is poorly known in plants relative to animals. In fruits, only a handful of cases have been described, including in We obtained fresh and herbarium fruit material from 30 We identify at least two (possibly three) origins of blue fruit color in Examining the full spectrum of mechanisms producing color in pl, including structural color as well as pigments, will yield further insights into the diversity, ecology, and evolution of fruit color.
- Award ID(s):
- 1907293
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10485235
- Publisher / Repository:
- New Phytologist
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- New Phytologist
- Volume:
- 237
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 0028-646X
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 643 to 655
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18538
