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Anthurium andraeanum
Life and mathematics. An almost perfect example of circular helix! Notice that it is a right-hand helix. Anthurium andraeanum is one of approximately 1000 species in the large genus Anthurium. In the wild, it grows as a veiny epiphyte with bright orange-red spathe in wet tropical rainforest. In cultivation, this species has been popularly hybridized for so many years, resulting in such varied sizes, colors and shapes. It can reach 1 metre in height and width. It is an upright plant that produces dark green leaves that are oblong and heart-shaped, up to 30cm or more in length. Each leaf is held on a 30-60cm-long petiole. As the plant grows taller and yellowed leaves are removed, its stem become spindly and produces aerial roots for support. A. andraeanum is well-known for its spectacular show of vibrantly colored spathes,mostly heart-shaped. Each spathe bears a protruding fleshy and tail-like spadix that carry the insignificant cluster of true sessile flowers. Once pollinated, the spadix will produce berries which will contain the seeds that can be used for propagation. Here the spadix is not pollinated. See in http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/925... an example of pollinated spadix
The species has neotropical distribution; mostly in wet tropical mountain forest of Central America and South America, but some in semi-arid environments. This one was observed at the Palacio de Cristal de la Arganzuela (Invernadero), Madrid
In all the cases I have seen the helix is always right-hand in Anthurium sp. Is it correct?
Spotted on Feb 26, 2012
Submitted on Feb 29, 2012
18 Comments
I see, thanks Emma, spirals are everywhere. I don't stop finding new spirals in the most unexpected places, like for example in this Babylon willow
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/948...
Year after year seeing this tree and never notice the spirals.
Funny!
Project Noah is changing a lot the way I look around!!!
arlanda,look at this specimen. The arrangement of spikes might give rise to double helices. BTW you can see spikes only after the flower has been pollinated.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/957...
I think spirals are in some way a cheap and easy method of growth. Mathematics always mean economy!!!
...which makes me think spirals may be either the necessary method of growth for some life forms and just a beautiful result in others...
Sorry it was a bit of a complication to go to straight to those coiling spadix. I think the helical flower arrangement on the spadix is an illusion because the flowers could easily align on the left edge giving the impression of a left helix. If you think of them like bricks each row could be 'offset' as in normal walls or the brick ends could be together (making a weak wall). Here's an example of how the apparent helix can change along the spadix giving right handed in some places and left in others...
http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Anthuriu...
Look carefully at Argybee link, Emma, there are right-hended and left-handed spadix
Great link Argybee!
Very interesting to know that the inflorescence only curls up when its been pollinated. A visual clue for seed dispersal.
In this case it looks like a right handed ,single helix.
Interesting Argybee
No Emma. It's an illusion. Here's a good one to think about..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39312862@N0...
Emma, I meant the spadix
Oh sorry, the spadix is just the spike inflorescence and the leaf-like curved bract known as a spathe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spadix
Botany is full of funny words
Arlanda, I wasn't sure if you meant the Spadix ,or the phyllotaxy. I cannot see the leaves but I feel that the spadix has a double Helix.
Thanks Emma, actually this specimen I think was very young because in most of other specimens the spadix showed small dots protruding and giving rise to double helices.
Thanks Argybee
Argybee, you should be able to answer that. Is the helix always right handed in the Anthrium,
Magic /*
In spirophyllum which is similar to Anthurium,leaves are produced in a single spiral fashion . Each leaf is accompanied by an inflorecence and here the spiral arrangement is right handed.
the phyllotaxy is in a double spiral or double Helix pattern.