Leaf Area and Its Relationship with Leaf Descriptors Elements in Liquidambar styraciflua L.

This study aimed at determining the leaf area in Liquidambar styraciflua L. and at characterising the relationship between leaf area and leaf descriptors. The biological material was the species Liquidambar styraciflua L. We determined leaf area in 100 leaves (Figure 1) based on the size of median rib (L), leaf width at higher (W1) and lower (W2) lobe level, and on area constants (KA). The size of elements L, W1 and W2 were found by measuring with a precision of ±0.5 mm. Area constants in the species Liquidambar styraciflua L. were KA1 = 0.63, determined depending on leaf width at upper lobe width (W1), and KA2 = 0.81 in relation to the width W2 of the lower lobes. Between the scanned leaf area (SLA) and measured leaf area (MLA) and leaf descriptors (L, W1 and W2) we identified relations of interdependence statistically ensured: r = 0.960 to r = 0.971 for SLA; r = 0.951 to r = 0.981 for MLA W1, and r = 0.933 to r = 0.972 for MLA W2, respectively. Leaf descriptors L, W1 and W2 had a differentiated contribution in determining SLA and MLA. SLA was influenced by leaf length (L) with higher statistic safety (R2 = 0.963, p << 0.001, F = 1277.2) than leaf width at upper lobe width W1 (R2 = 0.943; p<