---
type: Fractal Concept
title: Barnsley Fern
description: Iterated function system (IFS) of four affine maps that produces a fern-like attractor and is a classic biological-fractal example.
resource: https://tyson-swetnam.github.io/fractal-notebooks/okf/concepts/ifs/barnsley-fern/
tags:
- ifs
- biological
aliases:
- barnsley
- barnsleys fern
sources:
- id: glossary
  resource: https://tyson-swetnam.github.io/fractal-notebooks/foundations/glossary/
  title: Fractal Notebooks glossary (Chapter 4)
- id: seed
  resource: https://github.com/tyson-swetnam/fractal-notebooks/blob/main/fractal_rag/src/fractal_rag/concepts/seed.yaml
  title: fractal_rag concept seed (seed.yaml)
generated:
  by: process:fractal-rag-okf-export
  at: "2026-10-24T00:00:00Z"
status: stable
---

# Definition

Iterated function system (IFS) of four affine maps that produces a fern-like attractor and is a classic biological-fractal example.

# Aliases

`barnsley`, `barnsleys fern`

# Related concepts

* [Iterated Function System](iterated-function-system.md)
* [Attractor](../dynamics/attractor.md)
* [Fractal](../geometry/fractal.md)

# Citations

[1] [Fractal Notebooks glossary (Chapter 4)](https://tyson-swetnam.github.io/fractal-notebooks/foundations/glossary/) — `docs/foundations/glossary.md`

[2] [fractal_rag concept seed (seed.yaml)](https://github.com/tyson-swetnam/fractal-notebooks/blob/main/fractal_rag/src/fractal_rag/concepts/seed.yaml) — `fractal_rag/src/fractal_rag/concepts/seed.yaml`