Lurking in the deep shade of some southeast Asian forests is a spectacular sedge known to science as Mapania caudata. It is a good sized sedge by most standards but the most striking feature of this plant are its blue iridescent leaves. Investigations into the cause of this incredible coloration have revealed fascinating details regarding the source of this color.

Mapania caudata is not unique in produce iridescent blue leaves. Though far from common, this trait has cropped up in a variety of plant lineages from spikemosses to ferns and even a Begonia. A common thread that unites many of these plants is that they tend to grow in the deep shade of forest understories. Amazingly, the more we study these plants, the more we have begun to realize the numerous ways in which plants can produce iridescent leaves. It turns out, there is more than one way to build a shiny, blue plant.