Abstract
The striking universality of the occurrence of Fibonacci numbers in phyllotaxis is analyzed. Geometric investigation shows that Fibonacci patterns are intimately related to the golden divergence angle along the genetic spiral. A simple argument is presented to make this angle plausible by considering inhibitory action in primary pattern formation. The various types of leaf arrangement are related to the spatial and temporal range of the inhibitory influences.
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We thank Dr. Hanna Lifson for bringing the phenomenon of Fibonacci phyllotaxis to our attention. Discussions with Prof. M. Eigen, Dr. H. Meinhardt, and G. Sawitzki are gratefully acknowledged. D. Hellwig kindly provided us with the computer graphs of Figures 4 and 5.
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Richter, P.H., Schranner, R. Leaf arrangement. Naturwissenschaften 65, 319–327 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00368372
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00368372