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 influen ces on developmental stability. Because they may have numerous leaves, flow ers, and stems, one can study variation in developmental stability in a sin gle individual. Moreover, one often has sufficient degrees of freedom to te st for differences in developmental stability among individuals. Neverthele ss, within-plant variation in developmental stability can be a potential pr oblem. Leaf size and asymmetry in the common fig, Ficus carica, vary within a plant, depending on height (lower, middle, top) and position (inside, ou tside). Leaves from the outside top are the largest, and those from the ins ide bottom are the smallest. Outer leaves, which may experience greater str ess from cold, heat, sunlight, and desiccation, are more asymmetrical than inner leaves. We also found significant differences in leaf asymmetry among plants.