Table 5.

Increase in the total number of tillers (T), site-filling (Fs) and ratio of the number of new leaves over the number of new tillers (dL/dT) at the successive leaf stages of the main stem in L. perenne, A. stolonifera and P. pratensis

	L. perenne	A. stolonifera	P. pratensis	P (rows)
Increase in T (= exp Fs)
Case 1	1·62 ± 0·06	1·63 ± 0·16	–	n.s.
Case 2	1·76 ± 0·11	1·64 ± 0·06	1·45 ± 0·66	n.s.
Site-filling (Fs)
Case 1	0·523 ± 0·02	0·545 ± 0·02	–	n.s.
Case 2	0·557 ± 0·02	0·598 ± 0·02	0·606 ± 0·04	n.s.
dL/dT
Case 1	3·42 ± 0·18	4·00 ± 0·18	–	n.s.
Case 2	3·47 ± 0·27	4·24 ± 0·33	4·30 ± 0·34	n.s.

Values are means ± standard error of 12 seedlings grown in a greenhouse for 37 DAT.

In case 1, the first tiller emerged at the axil of leaf 1. In case 2, the first tiller appeared at the axil of leaf 2.

n.s., Non-significant according to Kruskal–Wallis test (P > 0·05).