Figure 1. Diversity of petal pigmentation patterns and co-occurrence with other patterned cues.

(A) Examples illustrating the diversity of pigmentation patterning on the corolla of flowering plants. Top left: stripe pattern of Gazania sp.; Top right: venation pattern of Veronica sp.; Middle left: spots pattern of Kohleria warszewiczii; Middle right: bullseye pattern of the poached egg plant (Limnanthes douglasii); Bottom left: complex pattern combining spots, stripes and brushed marks in Peruvian lily (Alstroemeria sp.); Bottom right: Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) flower displaying a pigmentation pattern participating in mimicry (female body of pollinator) and/or warning signal against herbivores. (B) Chemical pigments acting in the visible and UV range coexist with physical tridimensional features (cell shape and texture of the cuticle) that sculpt the petal surface. Heat and humidity gradients, electrical charges and scent emission patterns have also been reported, adding another layer of complexity to petal patterning.