Chinese money plant leaves hide a mathematical pattern

Tiny pores in the leaves appear to organize veins into a surprising geometric arrangement

Backlit round leaves of a Chinese money plant show branching veins and tiny pores, with a blurred outdoor scene in the background.

Light filters through the leaves of a Chinese money plant, showing a mosaic of veins and water-venting pores that form a mathematical pattern called a Voronoi diagram.

Nick Wurm/CSHL

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