Is Shape of a Fresh and Dried Leaf the Same?

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 11; no. 4; p. e0153071
• Main Authors: Tomaszewski, Dominik, Górzkowska, Angelika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 05-04-2016; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Analysis; Araceae; Automation; Biology and Life Sciences; Dehydration; Drying; Fourier analysis; Herbaria; Identification; Identification and classification; Leaves; Methods; Morphology; Normal distribution; Physical Sciences; Physiological aspects; Plant Leaves; Plants; Plants - classification; Preservation; Principal Component Analysis; Principal components analysis; Research and Analysis Methods; Statistical analysis; Statistical tests; Studies; Taxa; United States
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153071

Plants kept as dried herbarium specimens share many characteristics with their living counterparts, but there are some substantial differences between them. Due to dehydration, leaves of herbarium specimens change not only their mass and colour, but in many cases change their dimensions, too. The present study aimed to determine whether leaf shape changes during the drying process. A total of 794 pairs of fresh and dried leaves or leaflets of 22 plant taxa were studied. The shape of the blades was quantified using elliptic Fourier analysis combined with principal component analysis. In addition, area and mass of the leaves were measured. Statistical tests were applied for comparing fresh and dried leaves. The results indicate that the preservation process of pressing and drying plants for herbarium purposes causes changes in leaf shape. In general, the shape changes were directional. As the shape of fresh and dried plants is different, it is strongly recommended that shape analyses should be performed on datasets containing either of the leaf types.