The Latin word corolla , which refers to a small crown , came to Spanish as corolla . The term is used to name the second whorl that is part of the complete flowers , located between the sexual organs and the calyx.
To understand what the corolla is, therefore, we must know the meaning of several concepts. According to botany, a complete flower is one that has a corolla , pistils , stamens and calyx . These four elements are organs or structures that make up the flower .
In the case of the corolla, it is a whorl : a grouping of three or more leaves or organs that are in the same plane around a stem. Composed of petals , the corolla is the inner whorl and is characterized by its color, with which it attracts insects for the development of pollination .
Let's look at some botanical concepts that can help us delve deeper into the definition of the word corolla :
* perianth : this is a structure that has the function of covering or enveloping the sexual organs of the flower, and which, therefore, constitutes its non-reproductive portion. It is made up of the corolla, which is responsible for attracting insects for pollination, and the calyx;
* calyx : in the group of flowers that have a heteroclamid perianth, that is, its parts are of two different kinds, it is the external whorl. As seen in the previous point, the calyx complements the corolla. Its function is to protect the flowers and its essential components are the sepals , a series of sterile pieces, of herbaceous consistency and generally green in color;
* stem : it is one of the easiest parts to notice without using artificial instruments, such as a microscope, since its size is usually measured in centimeters. It is the organ in which the leaves, flowers and fruits are held. It is considered the axis of tracheophyte or vascular plants;
* knot : botany defines nodes as the areas of the stem that give rise to the leaves. In other words, it is about the points from which they are born;
* internode : the part of the stem in which two nodes meet, and from which a new branch is born, is called internode. It can also be defined as the sector of the stem that separates a pair of nodes. It is important to note that the tissues are organized differently inside a node and inside an internode, since in the first case the vascular system connects the stem and the leaf.
Taking all this into account, we can say that for botany whorls can be recognized in those plants that are organized into stems and leaves, provided that the stem is composed of nodes and internodes and that the leaves emerge from the nodes.
There are different kinds of corollas. The regular corolla , also called actinomorphic corolla , is one that is divided into two symmetrical segments by any plane that passes through the midline of one of the petals or through the axis of the flower.
The irregular corolla , zygomorphic corolla or zygomorphic corolla , for its part, presents the opposite characteristic : when faced with a plane that passes through the midline of the petal or the axis of the flower, it is not divided into symmetrical parts.
Another type of classification of corollas is linked to the arrangement of the petals. In a gamopetal corolla , the petals are welded together. On the other hand, in a dialipetal corolla , the petals are free, without being joined together.