Fig. 3.

Phenotypes of VIGS of Aqcoe3G231100 in A. coerulea ‘Origami.’ (A–D) Flowers at anthesis. (A) WT. (B) AqANS silenced VIGS control. (C) An Aqcoe3G231100-AqANS VIGS treated plant with two KD petals showing greatly reduced nectars spurs. ($C^{\prime }$) Petals dissected from the flower in C with the two KD petals indicated (c1 and c2). (D) An Aqcoe3G231100-AqANS VIGS treated plant with four KD petals with variably reduced spurs. ($D^{\prime }$) Petals dissected from the flower in D with the four KD petals indicated (d1 to d4). (E and F) Flowers at a developmental stage when Aqcoe3G231100 is normally expressed. (E) A WT flower with multiple sepals removed to see developing petal nectar spurs that have not begun producing anthocyanin pigments. (F) Example of an Aqcoe3G231100-AqANS VIGS treated plant used to verify gene KD, showing a strong reduction in spur development in two petals (indicated by arrows) relative to the other three. (G) Spur length plotted against cell number of WT (red) and Aqcoe3G231100-AqANS KD (gray) petals and the line of best fit, indicating a strong positive correlation between cell number and spur length (R² = 0.95, P = 3.0e-9, n = 14). (Scale bars: A, B, C, $C^{\prime }$, D, and $D^{\prime }$, 1 cm; E and F, 1 mm.)