Fächerförmige

Fächerförmig is a German adjective used to describe shapes that resemble a handheld fan, spreading outward from a narrow origin to a broad outline. The term combines Fächer (fan) with -förmig (shaped) and can take various inflections depending on gender, number, and case, for example fächerförmige Blätter or fächerförmige Blätter (plural).

In practice, fächerförmig is a common descriptor in natural sciences and descriptive language. It is frequently applied to plant morphology, where leaves or leaf-like structures display a broad, fan-like blade. The most well-known example is the leaf of Ginkgo biloba, which is commonly described as fächerförmig. The term can also be used for other botanical features, such as bracts or inflorescences, that spread outward in a fan-like arrangement.

Beyond botany, fächerförmig is used descriptively in zoology, anatomy, and other fields to denote any structure that expands into a broad, wing-like or fan-like outline. This can include membranes, fins, or other flat expansions that resemble a fan in overall shape. In all uses, the emphasis is on the characteristic spreading silhouette rather than a specific functional interpretation.

See also: fan shape, fächerform. The word remains primarily descriptive and is employed across disciplines to convey a particular visual impression of form.