Pollination is an essential process in all ecosystems and is regulated by many factors, the aspect presented flowers to insects is one of them. Recent research, conducted by a group of the University of Murcia, have shown that the petals of the flowers of Mirabilis jalapa emit a particular pattern of fluorescence and suggested that this could be a new signal involved in pollination.

The authors describe the presence in the petals of this species, two pigments, one betaxantin betacyanin yellow and violet. The betaxantin is a pigment that absorb blue light emits green fluorescence, while the betacyanin has the capacity to absorb the light emitted by the first. When the two molecules are close enough in that region there is no emission of light, since the fluorescence emitted by one is absorbed by the other, an effect that is known as the internal filter.

This work has shown that the distribution of the two pigments in the petals is not homogeneous, some petals contains both pigments while others only found the betaxantin. This heterogeneous distribution of pigments causes some of the petals emit light while others do not, creating a pattern characteristic fluorescence emission.

The patterns of light emission from the inner filter effect between betacyanins betaxanthins and could encourage insects like bees or bats, animals, both capable of detecting fluorescent light, so I would have an important role in pollination.