  We calculate single parton distributions inside quark and gluon jets within
the coherent branching formalism, which resums leading and next-to-leading
logarithmic contributions. This formalism is at the basis of the modified
leading logarithmic approximation (MLLA), and it conserves energy exactly. For
a wide preasymptotic range of the evolution variable Y=ln[E\theta/Q_0], we find
marked differences in the shape and norm of single parton distributions
calculated in the MLLA or in the coherent branching formalism, respectively.
For asymptotically large values Y>5-10, the difference in norm persists, while
differences in shape disappear. In this way, our numerical study delineates the
jet energy scale needed for a reliable application of both approaches. We also
study the dependence of the single parton distributions on the hadronization
scale Q_0 and on \Lambda_QCD, and we calculate within the coherent branching
formalism the identified quark and gluon distributions inside quark and gluon
jets.
