Some flowers have petals with small semi-translucent sections. Research in New Phytologist reveals that these "windows" alter the amount of light and heat entering the flower and create conditions that influence microbial abundance.
Field experiments showed that petal windows transmitted more ultraviolet and infrared radiation than pigmented tissue. Also, internal floral temperature predicted microbial numbers, with warmer flowers harboring fewer microbes.
Because microbial communities that live inside flowers can affect nectar quality, this discovery indicates that petal windows may influence how pollinators interact with flowers.
"One of the exciting things about this work is that a seemingly small floral trait can change the physical environment inside a flower in ways that affect its microbial community," said corresponding author Jessica Williams, a PhD student at Florida Atlantic University. "Because floral microbes can influence nectar traits and plant-pollinator interactions, these results suggest that flower structure may have ecological consequences that extend beyond the flower itself."
URL upon publication: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.71608
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