How do leaf anatomies and photosynthesis of three Rhododendron species relate to their natural environments?

Botanical Studies

Table 4 Leaf traits of three Rhododendron species

Parameters	*R. yunnanense*	*R. irroratum*	*R. delavayi*
LMA (g m⁻²)	59.38 ± 1.90b	94.32 ± 2.97a	87.08 ± 3.33a
N_a (g m⁻²)	0.98 ± 0.05a	1.20 ± 0.12a	1.01 ± 0.09a
N_m (mg g⁻¹)	16.50 ± 1.18a	12.69 ± 1.21ab	11.67 ± 1.15b
P_R (g g⁻¹)	0.378 ± 0.008a	0.344 ± 0.023a	0.414 ± 0.029a
P_B (g g⁻¹)	0.088 ± 0.001a	0.087 ± 0.010a	0.095 ± 0.006a
PNUE (μmol g⁻¹ s⁻¹)	9.26 ± 0.59a	9.44 ± 0.85a	11.92 ± 0.97a
Chl a + b (μg m⁻²)	62.91 ± 2.85a	66.05 ± 4.18a	57.58 ± 4.87a
Chl a/ b	2.43 ± 0.06ab	2.25 ± 0.52b	2.53 ± 0.08a

LMA, leaf mass per unit area; Na, leaf nitrogen content per unit area; Nm, leaf nitrogen content per unit mass; PR, the partitioning coefficients of leaf nitrogen in RuBPCO; PB, the partitioning coefficients of leaf nitrogen in bioenergetics; PNUE, photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency; Chl a+b, chlorophyll content of a and b; Chl a/ b, the ratio of chlorophyll a and b. Different letters in the same row indicate statistical difference (p < 0.05).