Phyllotaxis

how a sunflower packs its seeds

Plate XIV
Divergence137.50°
Seeds0
Offset φgolden

Place seed $n$ at angle $n\theta$ and radius $\sqrt{n}$. Only the golden angle $\approx 137.5°$ leaves no gaps and no overlaps — any rational fraction makes spokes. After H. Vogel, 1979 · the golden angle