There are few things more poetic than a flower blooming. Artists clamor to capture graceful petals peeling back into a blossom, yet despite mankind’s affinity for flora’s beauty, little is known about how it comes to be.
It was initially suspected that petals would bend outwards because of internal stress building against the midrib (the central vein) of each petal. Another theory was that the inner face of each petal grew faster than the outer face, eventually causing the petals to bend back into their beloved blossom shape. However, a 2011 Harvard University study of an asiatic lily (Lilium casablanca) observed that neither theory seemed to be true, suggesting that flowers have another catalyst for blooming.
By observing how the cells at the edges of the petals grow quicker than those in the middle of the petals, researchers discovered that this uneven growing pattern creates a strain that’s primarily responsible for the lily’s extraordinary form.
By observing how the cells at the edges of the petals grow quicker than those in the middle of the petals, researchers discovered that this uneven growing pattern creates a strain that’s primarily responsible for the lily’s extraordinary form. The strain is even visible to the naked eye, as the edges of the petals seem to ruffle in the wind while the center and base maintain a stiff shape.
The researchers created a mathematical formula to determine how the lilies bloom, giving a quantitative analysis to something once purely aesthetic. While it has been long accepted that petals and leaves share common evolutionary origins, the formula shows that the structures of both develop quite similarly, despite the formula only being applicable to lilies. Leaves and petals both grow more at the edges, as shown by the ripple effect on their rim, but one difference between the two is that petals are nearly always naturally curved.
Aside from elucidating biological history, the development of the “blooming formula” suggests new ways of controlling elastic sheets and film and also assists with design development, especially for tools that mimic blooming.
Aside from elucidating biological history, the development of the “blooming formula” suggests new ways of controlling elastic sheets and film and also assists with design development, especially for tools that mimic blooming. Actuator bimorphs, components of machines that move a system, can move more efficiently by replicating the bend of flower petals. This improvement can be applied to developing artificial muscles and soft robotics.
While the average person does not dissect art to discover the reason behind its beauty, there is no reason it cannot be quantified. With the Golden Ratio, architects have been creating art with mathematics for decades. The equation for a flower blooming similarly connects artists and scientists to fully appreciate the beauty of a flower in bloom.
Image Source: Pixabay
