Editing Iridescence (section)

==== Plants ====
Many groups of plants have developed iridescence as an adaptation to use more light in dark environments such as the lower levels of tropical forests. The leaves of Southeast Asia's ''[[Begonia pavonina]]'', or peacock begonia, appear iridescent azure to human observers due to each leaf's thinly layered photosynthetic structures called iridoplasts that absorb and bend light much like a film of oil over water. Iridescences based on multiple layers of cells are also found in the [[lycophyte]] ''[[Selaginella]]'' and several species of [[ferns]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Glover |first1=Beverley J. |last2=Whitney |first2=Heather M. |date=April 2010 |title=Structural colour and iridescence in plants: the poorly studied relations of pigment colour |journal=Annals of Botany |volume=105 |issue=4 |pages=505–511 |doi=10.1093/aob/mcq007 |pmid=20142263 |pmc=2850791 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Graham |first1=Rita M. |last2=Lee |first2=David W. |last3=Norstog |first3=Knut |date=1993 |title=Physical and Ultrastructural Basis of Blue Leaf Iridescence in Two Neotropical Ferns |jstor=2445040 |journal=American Journal of Botany |volume=80 |issue=2 |pages=198–203 |doi=10.2307/2445040 }}</ref>

<gallery class="center">
File:Iridescent begonia.jpg|Iridescent ''[[Begonia]]'' leaf
File:Peacock Fern (Selaginella wildenowii) (8681119528).jpg|''[[Selaginella wildenowii]]'' leaves
File:Pollia.jpg|''[[Pollia condensata]]'' fruits
File:Ophrys speculum-IMG 0321.jpg|''[[Ophrys speculum]]'' flowers
</gallery>