Flower color digitizing and pigment distribution in garden pansy

Abstract

The garden pansy (Viola × wittrockiana) is a large hybrid flower and most popular for its abundant flower colors. The flower colors of 12 pansy accessions were measured by using colorimeter and the pigments distribution within their petal cells were investigated. The result indicated a vast majority of the visual color of flower was consistent with the result surveyed by colorimeter in pansy. The pigments were mainly distributed in the upper and dorsal epidermal cells and most of them show the similar colors to those measured using colorimeter. The red pigment was found to be distributed in the visual blue petals and yellowish brown or khaki pigment in visual white petals. The results suggested the flower color of pansy can be objectively and accurately measured with colorimeter, and investigating pigment color and distribution in petals can help understanding pansy flower color better.