Ultraviolet Flowers: Campanula persicifolia

Campanula persicifolia L.

Campanulaceae

Visible light
(L37C)

UV light
(U-330 + BG-38, SB-140)

Both images: Nikon D70 @800 ISO, UV-Nikkor 105 mm f/4.5

This species has no traditional visual indication of a bull's-eye pattern. UV reflectance of the outer petals and young buds is very high, but the marked centre area is confined to the stigma and pistils just like the patterns exhibited by other Bluebell species. There is strong evidence of fluorescence from the nectaria as well.

Minor spots towards the perimeter of the corolla show reduced UV reflectance. The absorption of UV here possibly is with the epidermis because it varies quite a bit with the incidence angle of UV light from my SB-140 flash.