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WHAT IS CORROLA?

The petals of flowers are often arranged in a circle around the center of the flower, and this collective unit of petals is referred to as the corolla. The corolla of different species of plants can vary in color, size, and the number of petals. Many large flowers have fewer petals within the corolla, while smaller flowers may have a greater number of petals.

Overall, the main function of the corolla is to assist in the reproductive process of the plant. The petals of the corolla are designed to aid in pollination and therefore increase the chance of successful reproduction of the flower. Some plants are pollinated when wind picks up their pollen and transfers it to another flower of the same species. For plants that use wind pollination, the corolla assists this process by having small petals. The small petals do not block the wind and make it possible for wind to move over the anther, which makes the pollen grains, and transfer it to another flower.

The color and texture of the petals of the corolla also play an important role in pollination. Many plants that rely on animal pollinators have specific animal species that pollinate them. In order to attract certain animal species, the flowers have developed petals with colors specifically pleasing to those animals. Flowers that have red petals attract birds, while yellow and blue petals attract insects because they cannot see the color red. You may notice that some flowers are pale colored and wonder what types of animals are attracted to these flowers. These flowers are designed to attract night pollinators, such as moths and bats, and their pale colors stand out against the dark night sky. Some flowers also have intricate color patterns that not only attract the pollinator but also help guide them towards the middle of the flower where the pollen is located. These color patterns serve a similar function to the lights on the runway of an airport - they both help guide the flying object toward the desired location.