The word "flower" comes from the word "color""A small piece of color." And it's true, these amazing plants amaze with an incredible variety of shades! Why flowers of different colors? And why are their petals painted that way? Let's try to figure this out.
Where does this variety come from?
For the color of the plant flavonoids -organic compounds, available in huge quantities in each flower. It is their combinations and combinations that give the plant its unique look and shade. They are absolutely utilitarian in nature, that is created not only for us to admire the beauty of flowers. Flavonoids protect plants from excessive ultraviolet radiation, from temperature drop, from external chemical aggression and, of course, attract bright colors of insect pollinators. A large number of flavonoids are known, belonging to several groups according to the chemical structure.
Thus, the anthocyanin gives the flowers a violet, blue,lilac, red and other shades. And, for example, green, orange and yellow appear due to other pigments, which include chlorophyll, carotene and similar substances, which also have a diverse chemical structure. Yellow pigments absorb ultraviolet light well, and plants do not fade from the sun. By the way, alpine flowers, as a rule, are painted in this shade.
Why flowers of different colors, can explain theirlevel of acidity. The higher it is, the stronger the flower tends towards a red shade. If you drop the blue petal with vinegar, it will turn red. In autumn, by the way, the level of acidity in plants increases, so even the foliage begins to delight us with amazing shades of red, yellow and orange. And most of the flowers that open in early autumn have the same sunny color.
If the corolla cells do not have anypigment, it turns white. Since the pigments of flavonoids serve as the main protective function, and their presence in the flower increases its resistance to the effects of the external environment, then a complete absence of them gives the flower a vulnerability. Perhaps that's why white flowers are so soft.
Flowers with unusual coloring
Why flowers of different colors are determinedpresent in their cells with different chemical compounds. As a rule, all petals of the same flower are painted the same, but there are exceptions. For example, in a tri-colored violet (pansies) and in a Venus shoe, petals are colored, often in contrasting colors. And for some flowers, the corolla changes color during flowering. So, in the bud of the lungwort, when it opens, the petals are pink. And over time, they gradually turn blue, until the corolla turns blue or blue when it is blossoming. There are plants that have spotted or striped petals and even with a colored border on the edge of the corolla. Garden flowers, photos of which you can see in this article, confirm their amazing diversity.
Knowing why flowers of different colors, manybreeders are experimenting, producing home-grown plants that are surprising in color and durability, not only by crossing, but also by acidification of soil and special feeding. For example, calcium and magnesium will help create a more intense blue, and potassium - red. Thus, from the bricks created by nature, a person can build an amazingly beautiful world.
