Creating phyllotaxis: The stack-and-drag model

The genesis of phyllotaxis, the origin of the pattern of appendages on the surface just below the apical extreme of many plants, is an old unsolved puzzle. Whereas many models generate helices, the stack-and-drag model is the first to achieve this in an integral construction from seed to flower. Combination of the principle of gnomonic growth, where consecutive additions have comparable positions, with a “dragging” principle, where the developing zone follows the apical tip, provides a powerful tool in simulating a wide range of phyllotactic manifestations. The influence of three vital parameters for primordial size, compressibility, and canalization (or annular arrangement) helps in understanding the problemʹs nature.