<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> The fractal dimension can be used to quantify the shape of a natural curve. Curves with similar degrees of irregularity will tend to have the same fractal dimension. The fractal exponent describes the complexity of a shape and characterizes the scale-dependency of the pattern. This article presents an application of the fractal dimension in the analysis of leaves shape. In this paper I attempt to ask question if leaves of blackberry characterized by fractal dimension differ significantly in relation to the leaf ’s position along the cane. The fractal dimension of 49 leaves of blackberry from 8 primocanes, and 53 leaves from 19 lateral canes, from 9 individuals was estimated. The mean of D of a leaf is 1.12. There are no significant differences between D for leaves from two different cane types. Previous studies were focused on measurements of fractal dimension of leaves randomly chosen from one or a few individuals so there was necessity to measure fractal dimension all leaves growing along the same shoot, because usually leaf shape and size change more or less along a shoot. This research confirmed that fractal dimension is much more related to the shape complexity than to the size of leaves.</p></abstract>

The fractal dimension can be used to quantify the shape of a natural curve. Curves with similar degrees of irregularity will tend to have the same fractal dimension. The fractal exponent describes the complexity of a shape and characterizes the scale-dependency of the pattern. This article presents an application of the fractal dimension in the analysis of leaves shape. In this paper I attempt to ask question if leaves of blackberry characterized by fractal dimension differ significantly in relation to the leaf ’s position along the cane. The fractal dimension of 49 leaves of blackberry from 8 primocanes, and 53 leaves from 19 lateral canes, from 9 individuals was estimated. The mean of D of a leaf is 1.12. There are no significant differences between D for leaves from two different cane types. Previous studies were focused on measurements of fractal dimension of leaves randomly chosen from one or a few individuals so there was necessity to measure fractal dimension all leaves growing along the same shoot, because usually leaf shape and size change more or less along a shoot. This research confirmed that fractal dimension is much more related to the shape complexity than to the size of leaves.

Fractal analysis of leaves: are all leaves self-similar along the cane?

Department of Botany and Nature Conservation, Forest Biodiversity Institute, University of Agriculture in Krakow, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Krakow, Poland

Ekológia (Bratislava)

{"article-title":"Fractal analysis of leaves: are all leaves self-similar along the cane?"}

The fractal dimension can be used to quantify the shape of a natural curve. Curves with similar degrees of irregularity will tend to have the same fractal...

Fractal analysis of leaves: are all leaves self-similar along the cane?

Published Online: Aug 24, 2013

Page range: 104 - 110

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2013-0009

Keywords
the fractal dimension, leaf morphology, blackberry

This content is open access.

Fractal analysis of leaves: are all leaves self-similar along the cane?

Published Online: Aug 24, 2013

Page range: 104 - 110

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/eko-2013-0009

Keywordsthe fractal dimension, leaf morphology, blackberry

This content is open access.

Keywords
the fractal dimension, leaf morphology, blackberry