Within- and among-individual variation in fluctuating asymmetry of leaves in the fig (Ficus carica L.)

Plants are ideal organisms for studying genotypic and environmental influences on developmental stability. Because they may have numerous leaves, flowers, and stems, one can study variation in developmental stability in a single individual. Moreover, one often has sufficient degrees of freedom to test for differences in developmental stability among individuals. Nevertheless, within-plant variation in developmental stability can be a potential problem. Leaf size and asymmetry in the common fig, Ficus carica, vary within a plant, depending on height (lower, middle, top) and position (inside, outside). Leaves from the outside top are the largest, and those from the inside bottom are the smallest. Outer leaves, which may experience greater stress from cold, heat, sunlight, and desiccation, are more asymmetrical than inner leaves. We also found significant differences in leaf asymmetry among plants.