AMT C24/1

Outline of development of the Daisy

The theory developed in this paper is limited by a number of assumptions which are by no means always satisfied. Two are of special importance

(i) That the pattern passes through a long development period without forming any visible structures, and indeed without the chemical patterns modifying in any way the geometry of the system. When the visible structures are finally formed this is done without essential alteration of the chemical pattern.

(ii) That the pattern is always developed within a ring so narrow it may reasonably be treated a portion of a cylinder. The first of these assumptions is one which it would be very difficult to avoid making.

It would be exceedingly difficult to know what to assume about the anatomical changes. For the majority of plants this assumption is probably false. In the development of the capitulum of a daisy it seems to be more or less correct however. The capitulum is appreciably separated from the rest of the plant by a length of petiole before the development of the capitulum. It is not appreciably influenced by the proximal structures. hat this is the case is confirmed by the following facts

a) The direction of the generating spirals of the rosette and of the capitulum are statistically independent. Thus of 15 capitula and corresponding rosettes examined by the author, 4 cases had both rosette and capitulum left handed