Phi Rotation Angles

The fourth way of observing the presence of phi in nature is as an angle of rotation commonly found in the arrangement of leaf stems in plant growth, or phyllotaxy, as shown in Illustration 19 below. This angle is 137.5° (or conversely 222.5°) and is derived by dividing 360° by phi and summing the remainder:

360°/1.618… = ~222.5°

360° - 222.5° = 137.5°

(Note that this 137.5° angle is an order of magnitude 10 times greater than the phi scaling center line angle of 13.75° referenced on the preceding page, as well as 5 times the phi scaling angle of 27.5°)

source: http://www.natures-word.com/sacred-geometry/phi-the-golden-proportion/phi-the-golden-proportion-in-nature

Illustration 19: Phi rotation angles in plant growth

 

Illustration 20 shows how multiple iterations of this rotation angle organize the leaf stems in the most efficient array to support the growth of new leaves at the tip of the plant while allowing the larger older leaves to still maintain maximum exposure to sunlight and air flow.

Illustration 20: Leaves in phi rotation angle array


Illustrations are from Adrian O'Connor's Nature's World website, an excellent source for additional information on phi and other subjects related to sacred geometry


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