Fig. 1: A decision tree identifies birth size as the strongest predictor of SLGC behaviour.

a A cartoon of a developing Arabidopsis cotyledon (left), with a diagram of the stomatal lineage (right). Stomatal lineage cells divide asymmetrically to produce a smaller meristemoid (green) and a larger stomatal lineage ground cell (SLGC, gold). Meristemoids ultimately differentiate into stomata (purple). SLGCs can either divide asymmetrically (ACD) or differentiate into pavement cells (grey). b Illustration of the imaging-based approach. For each newly born SLGC (marked with an asterisk), we measured 15 features at birth. Two days later, we re-imaged the cell to capture its behaviour. In this example, the SLGC differentiated. Scale bar: 10 µm. c Cell segmentation of the second time point in (b), for semi-automated quantification of cellular features. d Decision tree following cost complexity pruning. Birth size was the strongest predictor of SLGC behaviour, followed by time of birth. e Cell areas at birth of SLGCs that divided (ACD) or differentiated (Diff.). Black circles and lines are individual-level means and standard deviations. The P-value is from a mixed-effects model with behaviour as a fixed effect and individual as a random effect. N = 3 individuals; 50, 62, 80 cells per individual. Source data and statistical details are provided in Source Data file 1.