The fluorescence properties of luteoline and its possible methyl ethers (a representative class of naturally occurring flavonoids) were investigated, together with the effect of diagnostic shift reagents such as sulfuric acid, aluminium trichloride, and borax. The results demonstrate that fluorimetry is a suitable tool for the identification and structure elucidation of minute samples of flavones, in particular if combined with absorption spectrometry. ThepK a values of all trimethylethers were determined for the ground and first excited singlet states and related to the effects of basic reagents.