Floral color change: a widespread functional convergence

Abstract

Ontogenetic color changes in fully turgid flowers are widespread throughout the angiosperms, and in many cases are known to provide signals for pollinators. A broad survey of flowering plants demonstrates that such color changes appear in at least 77 diverse families. Color‐changing taxa occur commonly within what are considered derived lineages, and only rarely in early or primitive groups. The pattern of distribution of floral color change across orders, families, genera, and species demonstrates that the occurrence of the phenomenon within a group is not simply a result of phylogenetic history. Color changes can affect the whole flower or they can be localized, affecting at least nine floral parts or regions. The scale of color change (localized or whole‐flower) is broadly correlated with the type of pollinator that characteristically visits the plant. Color changes can come about through seven distinct physiological mechanisms, involving anthocyanins, carotenoids, and betalains. Color changes due to appearance of anthocyanin are the most common, occurring in 68 families. Floral color change has clearly evolved independently many times, most likely in response to selection by visually oriented pollinators, and reflects a widespread functional convergence within the angiosperms.