A corolla opens like a flag, and its brief display is no botanical indulgence. It buys attention through pigment, scent, nectar, and form, compressing a plant's reproductive bid into the slim interval when pollen can travel. Then it shuts. What appears extravagant is often less costly than staying exposed as herbivores, heat, and fruitless visits mount.The bargain is ruthlessly efficient. Floral d...More