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Sunflowers (2)
and the Fibonacci number sequence
What we call the flower is actually the head which consists of hundreds of individual “disc florets” arranged in series of left and right spirals. The number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers... typically 34 in one direction and 55 in the other, but on large sunflowers as many as 89 in one direction and 144 in the other.
Fibonacci numbers were first discussed in the 13th century by an Italian mathematician Leonardo of Pisa, whose nickname was Fibonacci... each number being the sum of the two previous numbers... thus 0 + 1 = 1, 1 + 1 = 2, 1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 3 = 5, 3 + 5 = 8, 5 + 8 = 13, 8 + 13 = 21, 13 + 21 = 34, 21 + 34 = 55, 34 + 55 = 89, 55 + 89 = 144, 89 + 144 = 233, and so on.
Cultivation and Uses
Sunflowers have many uses... they are grown as ornamental plants in gardens and over thousands of hectares in America and Europe. Their the seeds are packaged as snacks sold in health food shops and for bird feeders in pet stores. Their seeds are processed to make oil for the kitchen and bio-diesel for “green” cars... and the “cake” left after oil extraction is used for cattle feed. There are numerous papers on sunflower crop production on-line, The Alternative Field Crops Manual being very comprehensive and understandable.
The seeds are rich in potassium, essential fatty acids, phosphorus, Vitamin E, Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin, manganese and zinc... are an excellent source of calcium... contain more iron than any other plant food... and are 25% protein. Many of these also show benefits when used in skin care products.
The most famous “Sunflowers” are those by Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and which have been reproduced countless times as postcards, notelets, magnets, greetings cards and posters. Several different canvases were painted by van Gogh in 1888 when he was living at Arles , in the south of France, and a century later one of them was sold at Christie’s London to a Japanese insurance magnate for the then record amount of just under $40 million.
Sunflowers have been painted by many other artists, notably the c1920 abstract "Le Tournesol (The Sunflower)" by Edward Steichen - perhaps better known as a photographer than a painter. Whilst living in France Steichen took a great interest in plants and studied the mathematical ratios and complex geometry of nature... and perhaps the Fibonacci numbers?
But if you can’t paint like Van Gogh or Steichen and like making things with your hands, here’s a free pattern for a simple Sunflower made from beads...
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