Toward a quantification of self-similarity in plants

Pascal Ferraro1, Christophe Godin2, and Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz3
1 LaBRI, Université de Bordeaux
2 INRIA, UMR Cirad-INRA-CNRS AMAP, Montpellier
3 Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary

Abstract

Self-similarity of plants has attracted the attention of biologists for at least 50 years, yet its formal treatment is rare, and no measure for quantifying the degree of self-similarity currently exists. We propose a formal definition and measures of self-similarity, tailored to branching plant structures. To evaluate self-similarity, we make use of an algorithm for computing topological distances between branching systems, developed in computer science. The formalism is illustrated using theoretical branching systems, and applied to analyze self-similarity in two sample plant structures: inflorescences of Syringa vulgaris (lilac) and shoots of Oryza sativa (rice).

Reference

Pascal Ferraro, Christophe Godin, and Przemyslaw Prusinkiewicz: Toward a quantification of self-similarity in plants. Fractals 13(2), pp. 91-109.

Download from the publisher's site, or download PDF here (2.4 Mb)