Why do morning glory change color?

Morning glory is an annual trailing twining herbaceous flower of the genus Petunia of the petunia family. It is native to tropical America and is widely cultivated in various parts of our country. It can be used as shade in front of small courtyards and bedroom windows, small scaffolding and hedgerows, and can also be planted on the ground. What is more interesting is that the color of morning glory will change. Let's take a look at why morning glory changes color.

What are the colors of morning glory?

Morning glory trailing stem slender, Cymes axillary, 1 to several, peduncle length, filament base pilose, Corolla trumpet-like, bright and beautiful, common flowers are white, red, pink, blue, purple and so on, color and genetic, for the same variety of different light, temperature, moisture will also affect the color of the flower.

When do morning glory bloom?

Morning glory, which blossoms slowly from June to October, usually blossoms slowly at 4 to 5 o'clock in the morning, and withered at about noon, because the morning glory is large and thin, and it is rich in moisture. When the sun shines, the water in the flower evaporates in a short time, and if it is in a shady place, the morning glory will wither more slowly, sometimes even in the afternoon.

Why does morning glory change color?

Morning glory often changes color, purple morning glory sometimes turns blue, sometimes red, discoloration is caused by a gene that causes changes in the pH of cell vacuoles. According to a report in the British journal Nature, the color of morning glory flowers is not only related to the pigments and metal ions contained in the cells, but also affected by the acidity and alkalinity of the liquid in the cell vacuoles, which is a bubble-like structure in the cytoplasm. It is surrounded by a vacuolar membrane and contains aqueous cell sap, which contains salt, sugar and other components. The scientists selected a kind of morning glory which is still purple after blooming and compared it with the blue morning glory. The results showed that the vacuole pH of the purple flower remained neutral after blooming, while the vacuole of the blue flower became alkaline, making the flower color change from purple to blue, just like litmus test paper turning blue in alkaline solution.