My feeling about the VMS whorl being top-view is the same way I feel about several of the other plant drawings in the VMS that diverge (somewhat) from tradition while still retaining some of the traditions... I suspect it's because the illustrator looked at real plants (I have specific reasons for believing this).
When you walk around, Plantago is one of the most distinctive and common whorled plants, as the leaves come out before the flower shoots. It's also one of the most distinctive in terms of the parallel veins.
If one is creating an herbal manuscript intended for reference and identification, it makes sense to include the flower shoots (from the side) because they are one of the most important things (besides the parallel veins and whorl) that distinguishes Plantago from other whorled plants (whorled plants are widespread and are so similar that some are hard to identify before the flower stalks emerge).
But... being a somewhat coy and mysterious manuscript, it would make complete sense for a VMS representation of Plantago or Dracaena (or whatever this plant happens to be) to show enough to identify the veins and whorl and something as a mnemonic, which means it wouldn't have to be drawn from the side to show the flower shoots in order for the creator to know what it is.
When you walk around, Plantago is one of the most distinctive and common whorled plants, as the leaves come out before the flower shoots. It's also one of the most distinctive in terms of the parallel veins.
If one is creating an herbal manuscript intended for reference and identification, it makes sense to include the flower shoots (from the side) because they are one of the most important things (besides the parallel veins and whorl) that distinguishes Plantago from other whorled plants (whorled plants are widespread and are so similar that some are hard to identify before the flower stalks emerge).
But... being a somewhat coy and mysterious manuscript, it would make complete sense for a VMS representation of Plantago or Dracaena (or whatever this plant happens to be) to show enough to identify the veins and whorl and something as a mnemonic, which means it wouldn't have to be drawn from the side to show the flower shoots in order for the creator to know what it is.