Solving the Riddle of Phyllotaxis

Book excerpt: Foreword by Stephen L Adler (Institute for Advanced Study, USA) Illustrations by Peggy Adler The term Phyllotaxis refers to the patterns on plants formed by the arrangement of repeated biological units. In nearly all cases, the Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Ratio occur in these arrangements. This topic has long fascinated scientists. Over a period of more than two decades, Irving Adler wrote a number of papers that construct a rigorously derived mathematical model for Phyllotaxis, which are major and enduring contributions to the field. These papers are collected in this reprint volume to enable their access to a wider readership.