Supporting this theory, the researchers found that the flower petals had the same glossy appearance under ultraviolet light. This spotlight of reflected yellow light flashes at the bee as it travels along its path or as the wind moves the flower, Steiner speculates. "Here you have a flower that can send a flash of light at a bee." "Suppose you have a meadow full of different flowers, and each one wants to be pollinated by a bee, a bee has a lot of choices, so each one of the flowers tries to stand out in their own way," Steiner said. Steiner and his colleagues, including plant biologist Beverly Glover of the University of Cambridge, suspect that the buttercup's ability to manipulate light this way comes in handy out in the meadow. But because the reflected light must travel through the pigment twice (once on the way in, once on the way out), it gives rise to the strong yellow color, Steiner said. This layer reflects the arriving wavelengths of light back equally, much like white paper would. The light that does make it through both of the surfaces of the epidermis and the air-filled gap finally arrives at a layer of starch. The other wavelengths are reflected back to our eyes and are perceived as the color yellow. The epidermis also contains pigment that absorbs the wavelengths of light associated with the blue part of the visible light spectrum. These surfaces give the flower its glossy appearance. This means that the angle at which the light travels to the surface equals the angle at which it travels out, so all of the reflected light travels in the same direction. Both surfaces are flat - the lower one borders an air gap - and each reflects light back much like a mirror would. It turns out that light arriving at the flower petal encounters two different surfaces within its outer layer, called the epidermis. Their examination revealed how the anatomy of the petal creates the yellow glow - which, according to children's lore, indicates the chin's owner likes butter. Now researchers understand why the flowers produce this yellow glow. According to children's lore, the yellow glow reflected by a buttercup when placed under a chin indicates that the owner of the chin likes butter.
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