Fibonacci numbers in phyllotaxis : a simple model

TL;DR

This paper introduces a simple two-step model explaining why Fibonacci numbers frequently appear in the spiral patterns of asteraceae flowers, linking biological growth processes to Fibonacci sequences.

Contribution

It presents a novel, straightforward model connecting floral spiral patterns to Fibonacci numbers through biological interactions and geometric constraints.

Findings

High order Fibonacci parastichies explained by the model

Low order parastichies result from floral repulsion

Fibonacci recurrence governs the evolution of parastichies numbers

Abstract

A simple model is presented which explains the occurrence of high order Fibonacci number parastichies in asteracae flowers by two distinct steps. First low order parastichies result from the fact that a new floret, at its appearance is repelled by two former ones, then, in order to accommodate for the increase of the radius, parastichies numbers have to evolve and can do it only by applying the Fibonacci recurrence formula.