posted on 2016-11-03, 14:42authored bySilvia Vignolini, Thomas Gregory, Mathias Kolle, Alfie Lethbridge, Edwige Moyroud, Ullrich Steiner, Beverley J. Glover, Peter Vukusic, Paula J. Rudall
The bright and intense blue-green coloration of the fruits of Margaritaria nobilis (Phyllanthaceae) was investigated, using polarization-resolved spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Optical measurements of freshly collected fruits revealed a strong circularly polarized reflection of the fruit that originates from a cellulose helicoidal cell wall structure in the pericarp cells. Hyperspectral microscopy was used to capture the iridescent effect at the single-cell level.