2009/07/27 by F.W. Cummings, Cummings, F. W.
Agricultural and Biological Sciences · Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · #Cell Behavior (q-bio.CB) #FOS: Biological sciences #Plant Molecular Biology Research #Plant Reproductive Biology #Polysaccharides and Plant Cell Walls #Tissues and Organs (q-bio.TO)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.0907.4765
openalex publication_date 2009/07/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A model of the regular arrangement of leaves on a plant stem (phyllotactic patterns) is proposed, based on a new plant pattern algorithm. Tripartite patterning is proposed to occur by the interaction of two signaling pathways. Each pathway produces stimulated extracellular emission of like ligand upon activation of its respective receptor, as well as inhibiting such emission from the other pathway. Patterns arise spontaneously from zero density of activated receptor. All known phyllotactic patterns are reproduced, Fibonacci, distichous, decussate, and whorls, as well as the rare monostichy, with only one leaf directly above the previous.