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Who said math can’t be interesting? Fractals like these can seem too perfect to be true, but they occur in nature and plants all the time and are examples of math, physics, and natural selection at work!
When we see order in the world, we think it must be some human hand that made it so. But Galileo Galilei in his Il Saggiatore wrote, “[The universe] is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures.” There is order in nature, and artists who want to reproduce it faithfully spend hours studying nature’s forms.
Civilization has struggled to understand this perfect geometry for thousands of years. In the 4th century, Plato believed that symmetry in nature was proof of universal forms; in 1952, the famous code-breaker Alan Turing wrote a book trying to explain how such patterns in nature could be formed.
Now you can join in the debate. Upvote your favorite photo from the list, or upload your own!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Aloe Polyphylla
VilémRein 9 years ago
Almost all of the pictures contain spirals of leaves or flowers. The spirals are mathematically described as Fibbonaci spirals and these are formed due to specific angels in which new organs are formed at the border region of the shoot apical meristem of the plant. The angle is given by the genotype and the places where are the primordia of the new organs formed are characterized by formation of a local high concentration of the plant hormone auxin. And because the plant maintains the shoot apical meristem throughout its life, there are new structures also in old plants formed in this regular shape (the only precondition is there is no damage close to the apical meristem.
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#2
Romanesco Broccoli
DonaldHarris 10 years ago
This is NOT SYMMETRY; it is fractal repetition. Romanesco is beautiful and tasty. I used to grow it.
VictoriaNobes 10 years ago
I'm growing these this year - we love it but it's quite expensive in comparison to normal broccoli!
#3
Crassula Buddha's Temple Plant
#4
Amazon Lily Pad
#5
Dahlia
JenniferNorthFitzgibbons 10 years ago
Love the color and each little perfect section. Nature at her finest. My favorite flower! <3
#6
Flowers Like Jeweled Carpet
#7
Drosophyllum Lusitanicum
voivod1111 9 years ago
Portuguese? I know the Roman Latin name for Portugal was Lusitania (Hispania), l think more commonly known as 'The Portuguese Sundew'
Janet Paulin 9 years ago
I thought this list is about symmetry. It's looking more like Fibonacci
#8
Hoya Aldrichii
CarolCampbell 10 years ago
I have never seen many of these plants. They are breath-taking. Where is this one found?
#9
Fractal Cabbage
DickIacovello 10 years ago
This is a pattern I noticed the first time I cooked with purple cabbage, I’ve even used it in some of my aty pieces.
#10
Sunflower
VictoriaJostes 10 years ago
the Fibonacci numbers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermat%27s_spiral
VictoriaJostes 10 years ago
the Fibonacci numbers - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fermat%27s_spiral
#11
Camelia
#12
Spiraling Succulent
#13
Thinking Cactus
#14
Viola Sacculus
#15
Ludwigia Sedioides
PeterUpton 10 years ago
Luwigia sedioides - species epithets always begin with a lower case letter. Sorry for pedantry, because the photo is beautiful!
#16
Lobelia
DennisWestler 10 years ago
One of the tall shrubby lobelias. like Lobelia tupa. Not at all like the sprawling bedding plants.
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#17
Succulents
#18
Pelecyphora Aselliformis
ColsonBaker 10 years ago
Es ist ein Kaktus genannt Peyotillo (ausgesprachen pejo tijo).
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#19
Chameleon Tail
ShaynaPrice 10 years ago
The list is supposed to be symmetry for plant lovers
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#20
Leaf Ladder
AnitaAntolkovic 9 years ago
This is absolutely stunning and in the same time so simple. Jeremy Narby wrote a great book about the greatness of nature: https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/985969-the-cosmic-serpent
#22
Alstroemeria Pelegrina
#23
Hoya Kerrii
AmyRogerson 10 years ago
I was just thinking that same thing. Beautiful cupcakes. I was just thinking that same thing. Perfect little cupcakes.
#24
Spiral Begonia
#25
Aeonium Tabuliforme
#28
Symetric Flowers
Final score:
26points
#29
Passiflora Caerulea
Final score:
24points
#30
Pinecone
Final score:
24points
Dragons Exist 1 year ago
I've always liked pinecones when they're brown but before they open up
#31
Fearful Symmetry
Final score:
24points
MaryAliceLynch 10 years ago
I love the colors and the symetry. I like this one the best so far.
#32
Agave~tequila Plant
Final score:
24points
#41
Araucaria Arucana
Final score:
9points
#44
Finonacci Garden
Final score:
7points
#48
Millipede
Final score:
5points
#50
White Chrysanthemum
Final score:
5points
#51
Santan Flower
Final score:
5points
#52
Suculent
Final score:
5points
#55
King Protea - Maui
Final score:
4points
#58
Name?
Final score:
4points
#75
Cindiee
Final score:
2points
#79
Nymphalis Antiopa Butterfly
Final score:
1point
#81
???
Final score:
1point
#83
Geometric Flower.
Final score:
1point
#89
Centre Flower
Final score:
1point
#91
Phillip Nguyen Pd3 Got Emm
Final score:
1point
#99
Geometric Leave.
Final score:
0points
#106
Colorado Columbine
Final score:
-2points
#107
Purple
Final score:
-2points
#109
Phillip Nguyen Period 3
Final score:
-2points
#110
Fibonacci Music By: Alexis Hernandez
Final score:
-2points
#111
Iparanas's Symmetry
Final score:
-4points
MartynaArturCarvalho (Submission author) 10 years ago
I know, I just made mistake. And I don't know how delete this post.
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What do you think ?
GabriellaLengyel 10 years ago
Well, these natur's creations are so astoundly beautiful, every one of them! I enjoy to watch them!
AnneWilliams 10 years ago
Really Sensational. Wish I could get some hope. Would love to keep these pics. Have seen a hoya in a garden but not as pretty as this.
GabriellaLengyel 10 years ago
Well, these natur's creations are so astoundly beautiful, every one of them! I enjoy to watch them!
AnneWilliams 10 years ago
Really Sensational. Wish I could get some hope. Would love to keep these pics. Have seen a hoya in a garden but not as pretty as this.
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