Table 1.
Summary of mean values (±s.e.) for characteristics of mature leaves of monocots and dicots at various sites
| Dry mass per unit leaf area (mg cm−2) | Nitrogen concentration (mg g−1 dry mass) | Water concentration (g g−1 dry mass) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australia: low-rainfall site | |||
| Monocots | 6·70 ± 2·15 | 23·9 ± 3·59 | 4·0 ± 1·1 |
| Dicots | 5·17 ± 0·50 | 28·2 ± 4·78 | 3·0 ± 0·5 |
| Australia: high-rainfall site | |||
| Monocots | 5·35 ± 0·19*** | 18·3 ± 0·90 | 3·3 ± 0·6 |
| Dicots | 7·0 ± 0·31 | 19·1 ± 1·1 | 2·1 ± 0·1 |
| Singapore | |||
| Monocots | ND | 25·7 ± 3·03 | ND |
| Dicots | ND | 17·9 ± 1·18 | ND |
| Uganda | |||
| Monocots | 3·88 ± 0·28* | 26·3 ± 2·01 | 4·2 ± 1·1 |
| Dicots | 5·18 ± 0·37 | 26·1 ± 1·35 | 2·4 ± 0·25 |
| Costa Rica | |||
| Monocots | 4·86 ± 0·53 | 19·5 ± 2·36* | 3·4 ± 0·43 |
| Dicots | 3·78 ± 0·23 | 27·2 ± 1·9 | 3·2 ± 0·37 |
| Panama | |||
| Monocots | 4·34 ± 0·35 | ND | 1·8 ± 0·48 |
| Dicots | 5·16 ± 0·49 | ND | 2·4 ± 0·45 |
Primary data are given in Appendix 2.
The cases where monocots and dicots at a site were statistically different (two-tailed t-test) are indicated: *P < 0·05; ***P < 0·001.
ND, not determined.