The Individuality of Plants
First issue: 2008-02-05 - Last update: 2008-02-05
| In
the same way as one is able to recognize humans [1] and
animals [2] by certain biometric characteristics, even
plants and their components can be distinguished. This documentation compiles
a few characteristics which are similar to human characteristics or which
are typical for flowers. It is not a methodical investigation and will
only present a few impressive examples. Rather than delivering academic
proofs we mostly deal with conjectures and only occasionally give some
evidence. For a more theoretical framework, the reader is referred to the
document "Biometric Animals" [2]. |
Vein-like characteristics
Human characteristics
| Veins show a two or three
dimensional structure which is defined by their course and branchings resp.
ramifications. The ramifications seem to follow a genotypic and randotypic
law, see [2]. The randotypic
part may be the reason why such structures behave as if they were unique
even for monozygotic twins. As a result, the (projected) 2-dimensional
patterns for the hand veins and the retina veins seem to be highly performing
human identifiers. Especially hand vein recognition, using infrared light,
allows a simple and reliable detection method for human recognition. Although
retina recognition has been one of the earliest vein-type biometric characteristics
to be used, its application was restricted to certain exotic cases. The
reason may be that retina sensors are difficult to design for user friendliness
and cost efficiency. A third human biometrics characteristic, the face
thermogram, is also assumed to draw its properties from the vein/vessel
structure behind the face surface. |
| What vein structures make
so attractive for biometric recognition are the ramifications since these
can be described as fixed points in a 2- or 3-dimensional space thus leading
to unique figures as we know them from stellar constellations. |
| Human retina structure |
 |
| Author: unknown |
License: GFDL
|
|
|
Trees
| Trees are the most obvious
examples for a branched structure which seems to be unique for each tree
although there is a strong regular component. Obviously, the bifurcations
are embedded in a three dimensional space. As a result, no simple biometric
measurement method can be given, and a projection to 2 dimensions is hindered
by the missing of a preferred direction. |
| Tree without leaves (winter time in
Germany) |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: [Biometric
Animals]
|
|
Eichhornia crassipes
| The water hyacinth
does not only show multi-colored vein-type characteristics, also the yellow
spot in the center of the upper petal of a blossom is very characteristic
in its shape. |
| Eichhornia crassipes |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
| Eichhornia crassipes |
|
|
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
Iris germanica
| The following example of
iris germanica presents a very characteristic vein-similar pattern. Obviously,
this pattern is not perfect since it includes singular embedded lines without
any connection the the main structure. |
| Iris germanica |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
Coral Mushrooms
| Coral mushrooms show ramifications
with a individual 3D structure which seems to be random and can be compared
to bifurcations of a tree. |
| Ramaria rugosa |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
| Ramaria aurea |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
Fingerprint-like characteristics
| Unless veins fingerprint-like
patterns are bound to a surface. Additionally, fingerprint-like patterns
comprise a stripe component such that the inverse structure again is of
the same pattern family. This enables additional structure elements. While
in vein-like patterns all lines are connected to something like a root
line and thus have a common begin, fingerprint lines (ridges) may begin
and end anywhere. This is illustrated in the following binarized human
fingerprint image: |
| Binarized fingerprint image |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: limited to
this article
|
|
|
| Fingerprint patterns in
plants is a rare phenomenon, but it exists as the following cases prove! |
Stapelia gigantea
| Stapelia Gigantea [Wikipedia],
also known as "Carrion Flowers" is a plant whose flowers generates the
odor of rotten flesh. They reach up to 41 cm in diameter. The structure
of the flower shows many properties of a human fingerprint. The following
photo has been taken in the botanical garden of Munich [3]
and was the first plant I found with a fingerprint-like pattern. Both,
endings and branchings are found. Although the flower follows a pentaradial
and pentagonal symmetry, no symmetry with respect to the fine pattern is
found. This argues for a mainly randotypic generation [2]
of the characteristic when defined as minutiae image. That is, the pattern
of the locations of the line endings and bifurcations has a dominating
random part. This can be confirmed by comparing one flower with other flower
of the same or different plants. |
| Stapelia gigantea |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
| Stapelia gigantea
zoomed |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
Huernia striata
| A relative of Stapelia
Gigantea has been found in Wikipedia which also shows fingerprint structures.
It's Huernia striata as shown in the next image. The typical fingerprint
minutiae are best developed in the inner part of the flower. |
| Huernia striata |
 |
|
|
Spotted characteristics
| Numerous animals and plants
bear a spot-like colored pattern in their skin, fur, or petals. Often the
pattern is very characteristic for a race or variety. A closer look reveals
that the fine pattern often is unique. The following examples show petals
of different flowers. The randotype nature is easily revealed by comparing
the border of the spotting. Here, differences are found between the
petals of different samples of a species as well as between different flowers
of a plant. Also, the fine pattern does not follow the (higher-order) symmetry
of the flower. |
Digitalis
| The following digitalis
[Wikipedia] shots
have been taken in the botanical garden of Munich [3].
They clearly show the spotted patterns which are unique for each flower. |
| Digitalis purpurea |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
| Digitalis purpurea |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
Orchidaceae
| Other examples for spotted
characteristics have also been taken in the botanical garden of Munich
[3], showing two samples of different Orchidaceae
[Wikipedia]. The
first sample shows a structure which varies from spotted to vein-like.
Note that there is no kind of symmetry in the patterns. |
| Orchidaceae |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
| Orchidaceae |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
Lattice-like patterns
| Lattice like patterns have
been found in the petals of an orchid exhibited in the botanical garden
of Munich [3]. |
| Orchidaceae |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
| Orchidaceae |
 |
| Author: Manfred Bromba |
License: cc-by-sa
3.0
|
Origin: this
article
|
|
Acknowledgment
| The author would like to
thank all photographers for their personal or general permission to publish
their photos in this article. All rights remain with the contributors. |
|
|
Literature and Links
|
