Leaf Architecture: Art, Atlas, Applications

Leaf architecture began as a collaboration between ancient and living leaves and an appreciation of the diversity of structures and patterns that leaves have evolved in response to the demands for fundamental functions. The first “leaf architect” was a paleobotanist, Constantin von Ettingshausen. Recent efforts have built on his 1862 framework for characterizing leaves, resulting in an illustrated language for patterns that had been ineffable.

When immersed in the beauty of leaf diversity, one must not forget that leaf architecture is an invaluable resource for plant classification and identification, helping detect relationships at different taxonomic ranks. As the primary utensil for characterizing and identifying fossils, it is essential for understanding how the plants of the past responded to climate change, and how future floras might react. Similarly, leaves constitute much of what is available to someone trying to identify tropical rain forest trees. That makes leaf architecture an increasingly important tool in tropical forest inventory, management, and conservation.