Growth-Algorithm Model of Leaf Shape

TL;DR

This paper introduces a growth algorithm model that simulates diverse leaf shapes using a small set of parameters, linking vein positions to leaf outline development.

Contribution

It presents a simple, parameter-efficient model that reproduces various leaf shapes and explains shape variation through growth algorithm variability.

Findings

Model approximates a wide variety of leaf shapes

Leaf shape variation linked to growth algorithm differences

Model can be extended to complex leaf types

Abstract

The innumerable shapes of plant leaves present a challenge to the explanatory power of biophysical theory. A model is needed that can produce these shapes with a small set of parameters. This paper presents a simple model of leaf shape based on a growth algorithm, which governs the growth rate of leaf tissue in two dimensions and hence the outline of the leaf. The growth of leaf lobes is governed by the position of leaf veins. This model gives an approximation to a wide variety of higher plant leaf shapes. The variation of leaf shapes found in closely related plants is discussed in terms of variability in the growth algorithms. The model can be extended to more complex leaf types.