flowers with 1 petal (very rare) white calla lily lilies have 6 petals; fusing of petals
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Flowers with 1 petal (very rare)
White Calla Lily
Lilies have 6 petals; Fusing of petals
Flowers with 2 petals (very rare)Euphobia
Flowers with 2 petals (very rare)Can still be found in Singapore: photo taken outside a HDB flat
Flowers with 3 petals (quite rare)
Waterplantain Trillium
Flowers with 5 petals (very common)
Taken in SingaporeHibiscus
Bougainvillea: which one is the flower?Pink ‘flower’: 3 bracts or modified leaves;
light-yellowish flower in centre has 5 petals;
actually there are 3 flowers in centre
Columbine: How many petals?5 petals & 5 sepals (modified petals)
Most of the times, sepals look exactly like petals
Daffodil: How many petals?3 petals & 3 sepals (modified petals)
Flowers with 8 petals (quite rare)
Bloodroot Yellow Moonbeam Coreopsis
Daisies with 13 petals (quite rare)
Black-eyed Susan Orange Zinnia
Daisies with 21 petals (quite rare)Shasta Daisy‘Petals’ are bracts or modified leaves;100-200 flowers in centre;Composite Flower
Daisies with 34 petals (quite rare)
Field Daisy White Daisy
Flowers with 34 petals (quite rare)
Sunflower
‘Petals’ are bracts or modified leaves;
100-200 flowers in centre;
Composite Flower
Exceptions
Ixora Daylily
Exceptions
Starflower Passion Flower
Exception Type 1 Some flowers follow Lucas Sequence:
2, 1, 3, 4, 7, 11, 18, 29, … Like Fibonacci sequence except first 2
terms are 2 and 1, instead of 1 and 1 Fibonacci: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, … E.g. 4 petals and 7 petals
Flowers with 4 petalsIxora: Taken in Singapore
Flowers with 7 petals
Starflower
Exception Type 2 Doubling of the petals: e.g. from 3 to 6
petals; from 5 to 10 petals
Flowers with 6 petalsDaylily3 petals & 3 sepalsWe just use layman’s term: 6 petals. Why?
Or else problem with daisies and sunflower
Flowers with 6 petals
Iris3 petals & 3 sepals
Orchid: 6 petals
Vanda Miss JoaquimSingapore National Flower
2 petals, 3 sepals, 1 lip (modified petal)
www.nparks.gov.sg/plants/van/pla-van-van.shtml
Orchid: 6 petalsLearn more about Singapore National Flower:
Orchid: 6 petals
NTU’s own flower:Dendrobium Nanyang
Orchid: How many petals?2 petals & 3 sepals?
Lip not obvious or no lip (hybrid)
Flowers with 10 petalsPassion Flower
Probably 5 petals & 5 sepals
Exception Type 3 Mutations and hybrids that have been
created artificially also account for exceptions
Marsh Marigold: 5 or 6 petals?The 6-petal flower is a mutant
4 or 5 petals?Taken in Singapore
The 4-petal flower is a mutant
Roses: How many petals?
Hybrids: many petals
Wild Roses: How many petals?5 petals
Are you sure there is a pattern? Fibonacci: 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, … Lucas: 4, 7, 11 (we haven’t seen 11 petals) Doubling (even nos.): 6, 10, 12, 14, 16, …
(we haven’t seen 12, 14, 16, … petals) Petals: 1-8, 10-14 (cover most numbers!) If can find 9 or 15 petals, this is rubbish!
So where is the Fibonacci pattern? The Fibonacci pattern comes mainly from
daisies: 13, 21, 34, 55 or 89 Botanists may disagree because some
‘petals’ are actually sepals or bracts But we go by what we laymen see. Why?
So where is the Fibonacci pattern? E.g. if nature has fused
the 3 petals and the 3 sepals of the White Calla Lily into 1 petal, why call it 3 petals?
The Internet Search for 9 Petals… Marsh Marigold: “5-9
deep yellow petals” But mostly 5 petals 6-petal is a mutant “5-9 sepals; no petals” Website can be wrong
The Internet Search for 9 Petals… Lesser Celandine: “5-9
yellow petals” But mostly 8 petals Website can be wrong
or the rest are mutants
The Internet Search for 9 Petals… Mayapple: “6-9 petals” But mostly 6 petals Website can be wrong
or the rest are mutants
The Internet Search for 9 Petals… Royal Ramparts: “9
deep red-purple petals” Japanese Iris Nursery Probably a hybrid
The Internet Search for 9 Petals… Áashild Kalleberg: “8-9 petals & 3 sepals” Website says it is a hybrid Some sites on dried flower arrangements Conclusion: Flowers with 9 petals are
either mutants or hybrids Websites are not always reliable
Websites on Fibonacci Numbers ccins.camosun.bc.ca/~jbritton/fibslide/jbfibslide.
htm (contains other patterns as well)
library.thinkquest.org/27890/applications5.html
How many ridges in a banana? Hint: It is a Fibonacci
numberridge