Clockwise or counter-clockwise

[Pachrian]

I have a stupid question: what determines whether a hibiscus bloom overlaps clockwise or counter-clockwise?

I used to think it is genetics, like lefthandedness or righthandedness. But then I noticed blooms of the same cv can go in either direction. I will have to go through my pics to see if even blooms of the same bush can vary.

[Pachrian]

Looking at the HVH page for Simple Pleasure it shows that blooms on the same bush can go either way. Odd...

[helixturnhelix]

That is an interesting observation!  I have a feeling that it is more of an environmental thing rather than genetics.  Just like a the spiral on a snail shell, depending on environmental conditions when the snail is developing determines which directions the spiral goes.  It could be different with hibiscus though

[Charlie]

This topic comes up from time to time. In Australia the hibiscus shows have a category for "twin flowers" or 2 flowers of the same variety. To qualify they require that the blooms overlap in the same direction.

It does appear to be an environmental condition that causes it to go one way or the other. There has been some speculation that the direction that the bud faces while it develops determines which way the petals will overlap. Supposedly the reverse happens for northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere locations - meaning that buds facing east will open clockwise in the north but counter-clockwise in the southern hemisphere. I don't know that anyone has actually tested any of this but that's what I recall of some of the speculation about this curious hibiscus fact.

Charlie

[Pachrian]

Charlie, that theory sounds plausible, and the pic of my recent Bridal Path triplets certainly supports it. See the bud, it faces the same direction as the left flower (south), and if you imagine it open it will overlap the same way. The 2 flowers on the right face east and overlap the other way.

[Charlie]

What a great example! If enough of us watch for this it should soon become apparent whether it holds true all or most of the time.

Great photo of Bridal Path, very dramatic!

Charlie