Ultraviolet Flowers: Glechoma hederacea

Glechoma hederacea L.

Lamiaceae

Visible light
(L37C filter)

UV light
(FF + CC20C, SB-140)

UV fluorescence
(Sylvania Blacklight, L37C filter on lens)

IR light
(Wratten 89B, SB-140 with Wratten 87)

Nikon D1H, UV-Nikkor 105 mm f/4.5, @800 ISO

Ground Ivy has no clear-cut bull's eye pattern, just a variegated flamed pattern of the flower, but shows plenty of everything else. The anthers both reflect UV strongly and exhibit a beautiful UV-mediated fluorescence as well. In common with so many other blue-hued flowers, there is a strong IR reflectance too thus explaining why the flower tends to turn out with a magenta cast on film and digital pictures.