The Phyllotaxy of Mature Shoots Can Be Described by a Phyllotactic

The phyllotaxy of mature shoots can be described by a phyllotactic fraction where the numerator indicates the number of times you must go around the stem to get to another leaf directly above (or below) the starting leaf and the denominator indicates the number of leaves passed through to get back in-line with the starting leaf. These two numbers can also be used to calculate the angle between successive leaves. The most common patterns are summarized in the table below.

What is an advantage to plants as the numbers of leaves passed through increase?

A) The shoot apex will get larger as it produces larger numbers of leaves.
B) The number of leaves passed through will always increase at a faster rate than the number of times around the stem so there will be more photosynthesis.
C) The phyllotactic fraction is random, so a "counting mechanism" is not necessary.
D) The angle between leaves approaches 137.5o which minimizes shading of lower leaves by upper leaves.