Yes, white flowers may contain pigments but the they are very little in amount and having no colored pigments. That why they don’t show bright color like red, blue, yellow.
Another reason is that the petals reflect all the white light and don’t absorb any colored light. so that we see the white flower
Reasons
- White flowers may contain very little or no colored pigment.
- They usually lack pigments such as anthocyanins this is responsible to produce red, blue, and purple colors.
- Their petals of the flower reflect almost all visible light.
- The reflected white light makes the flowers appear to be white in color.
Difference Between White and Coloured Flowers
| White Flowers | Coloured Flowers |
|---|---|
| It lacks or contain few coloured pigment | It has Rich in coloured pigments |
| It Reflect most White light | It Absorbs different wavelength of light and reflect colors |
| Colour mainly seen due to Scattering of light | The Color shown is due to pigments |
| It contains little or no anthocyanins ( responsible for colors ) | It Contain anthocyanins, carotenoids or both pigments |
What Are Plant Pigments?
Pigments are natural chemical compounds that are found in plant that absorb a certain wavelength of light and reflect others light. The reflected light coming in our eyes shows color of the flower.
Types of pigments
The Four important pigments that are found in flowering plants are:
Flavonoids – It mostly Produce cream or pale yellow colors and also responsible to protect flowers from ultraviolet (UV) radiation that is coming from sunlight.
Chlorophyll – It gives green color to leaves.
Carotenoids – Produce yellow, orange, and red colours.
Anthocyanins – Produce red, pink, purple, blue, and violet colours.
This question is important for students of class 9 of chapter Cell the building block of life and it belongs to NCERT book of science. i hope you will find helpful please rate our anwer.
Examples of White Flowers
- Jasmine
- White Rose
- Lily
- White Lotus
- Gardenia
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Do white flowers contain pigments?
Yes. Most white flowers contain small amounts of pigments but they lacks colored pigments.
2. Why are white flowers white?
They appear white because their petals of the flowers reflects all the white lights and don’t absorb any colors.
3. Which pigment is usually absent in white flowers?
Anthocyanins is the pigments that are responsible for red, blue, purple, and pink colours.
4. Can white flowers attract pollinators?
Yes. Many white flowers attract pollinators through their fragrance, nectar, flower shape, and ultraviolet patterns that are visible to insects that’s why pollination occurs.
