Advertisements 1: Visual Signals and Floral Color

This chapter examines how color interacts with the other visual signals from floral size, shape, and outline in enhancing floral attraction to visitors. Visual attraction by flowers is linked to floral shape and size. For most pollinators, color and color patterns are attractive. Most of today’s key pollinating taxa have good color vision, and flowers should have been selected to interact with their visitors’ visual abilities. The chapter first considers floral pigments and floral color before discussing the problems of defining and measuring color in flowers. It then explains how animals perceive flower color and proceeds by analyzing color preferences in animals, along with the ecology and evolution of flower color and color preferences. It also explores nectar guides, how floral color change can control pollinators, and other visual cues used for advertisement. Finally, it asks why flower colors diverge, citing the role of selection.