Mathematics

Fibonacci Numbers of
Plants
Who was Fibonacci?
• The "greatest European mathematician of the middle
ages", his full name was Leonardo of Pisa, or Leonardo
Pisano in Italian since he was born in Pisa,Italy the city
with the famous Leaning Tower.
• Pisa was an important commercial town in its day and had
links with many Mediterranean ports. Leonardo's father,
Guglielmo Bonacci, was a kind of customs officer in the
present-day Algerian town of Béjaïa, formerly known as
Bugia or Bougie, where wax candles were exported to
France. They are still called "bougies" in French.
 Fibonacci numbers of plants
• One of the most well-known orderly sequence of numbers
in mathematics is the Fibonacci series. It was named in
honor of Leonardo Fibonacci, the famous Italian
mathematician of the middle ages. The now famous series
of numbers is given by the infinite elements: 0,1,1,
2,3,5,8,13,21,34,55,…; and figuring out the pattern, one
can deduce that each next element is generated by adding
the last two numbers preceding it. Quiet astonishingly,
many occurrences in nature such as in flowers carry these
numbers; examples of which are given below where the
numbers indicated are elements of the series.
 White Calla Lily

• Any of several chiefly southern African plants

of the genus Zantedeschia, and is widely
cultivated as ornamentals and cut flowers for
their showy white, yellow, pink, colors. It is
uniquely bringing forth a single petal
corresponding to the second and/or third
element of the Fibonacci series, with zero
being the first element as shown above.
 Euphorbia

• Euphorbia is one of the most diverse genera in

the plant kingdom, consisting more than 2000
species. They are mostly found in Continental
Africa and America as well as in the exotic
island country of Madagascar. For uniquely
having two petals, it may correspond to the
fourth element of the Fibonacci sequence.
 Trillium

• Is a perennial herbaceous flowering plant of

about 40-50 species. They are native to
temperate regions in Asia and North America.
Common names include trillium, wakerobin,
and birthroot. For having three petals, it can
represent the number three (3), the 5th
element of the Fibonacci series
 Columbine

• Any of various other plants of the genus

Aquilegia, and is characterized by divided
leaves and showy flowers of various colors.
Columbine is the state flower of Colorado.
With its five petals it can very well represent
number five (5), the sixth member of the
Fibonacci series.
 Bloodroot

• Also known as bloodwort, pauson, red

puccoon root is an eight petalled flower native
from Nova Scotia, Canada down to Florida,
United States. For having eight petals (8), it
may represent the number 8, the 7th member
of the Fibonacci series.
 Black-Eyed Susan

• Very common place in the United States,

perhaps this is the most popular wild flower in
North America. The brown domed center is
surrounded by thirteen bright yellow petals; a
number that could represent number 13 for
the 8th member of the series.
 Shasta Daisy

• Its petals are white, and elongated and incised

oblong. In their proper position the petals
would make an approximately 10 cm radius,
making the flower large. The domed part at
the center is circulated by the characteristic 21
petals; thus, representing the 9th member of
the series
 Field Daises

• Although some members of this species do

have different number of petals, but in
general, they commonly have thirty four (34),
qualifying it to represent the number 34 of the
Fibonacci sequence, the 10th member of the
series.