The unified rule of phyllotaxis explaining both spiral and non-spiral arrangements.

ABSTRACT: Leaf-like appendages of different plant groups are arranged in common phyllotaxis patterns categorized into two types: spiral and non-spiral arrangements. The adaptive reason for this morphological convergence is unknown. In the non-spiral arrangement, the divergence angle between successive leaves is a simple fraction of 360°, e.g. distichy, decussate and whorled phyllotaxis. In the spiral arrangement, the divergence angle of nascent leaves at the shoot apex is fixed at the golden angle 137.5°, whereas those of the developed leaves varies within a sequence of Fibonacci fractions, such as 1/3, 2/5, 3/8, 5/13, etc. The optimality of the golden angle has been shown recently by assuming that the pattern of developed leaves varies during growth in a manner depending on the divergence angle of

SUBMITTER: Okabe T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6408360 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature