Tuesday, September 4, 2012

SUNFLOWER

















True to its name, this sunflower pulses with light, its tousled petals like solar
flares erupting from the seething, seeding core.

Look closely and you'll see flowers within the flower—tiny star-shaped florets surrounding the maturing seeds.

They're all arranged in one of Nature's most sublime patterns, a spiral lattice, so precise in contrast to the careless abandon of the petals, to the raspy, gangly stalk.

What an amazing gift to the eye—and spirit—this sunny early September day!


MORE ON SUNFLOWER'S SEED HEAD PATTERN (From Wikimedia) – Generally, each floret and seed is oriented toward the next by approximately the golden angle, 137.5°, producing a pattern of interconnecting spirals, where the number of left spirals and the number of right spirals are successive Fibonacci numbers. Typically, there are 34 spirals in one direction and 55 in the other; on a very large sunflower there could be 89 in one direction and 144 in the other. This pattern produces the most efficient packing of seeds within the flower head.

4 comments:

spldbch said...

I love the way you take the time to really SEE things. I can't tell you how many sunflowers I've passed by this summer without really seeing them.

Anonymous said...

I love seeing the patterns in every focal point of Nature releasing that which is seemingly physical back into the timeless wonder of one's deep and inner core of imagination.

Jeffrey Willius said...

Hi spldbch - Looks like we're parties to a mutual admiration society!
I also love the way you see people -- your latest post at This Is Me about introversion is great -- really resonates with me!
Thanks so much for your comments and support! BTW, if you like the way I see things, you'll love my new (and first) book :-) See order tab on my main page.

Jeffrey Willius said...

THanks, Bernie -- I always know, when I post something that touched me in that deep, inner core, that you'll understand. Yes, it's way beyond the physical or mental.
Thank you, my friend!

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