Table 2. Anatomical features of leaves from control, mycorrhized (AM) and phosphate-fertilized plants (Pi).
| Parameter | wpi | Control | AM | Pi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaflet area (cm2) | 3 | 1.3± 0.2a | 2.0 ± 0.2b | 2.2 ± 0.3b |
| 5 | 1.6 ± 0.2a | 1.9 ± 0.1b | 2.7 ± 0.5c | |
| Leaflet thickness (μm) | 3 | 228 ± 14a | 257 ± 43b | 266 ± 13b |
| 5 | 231 ± 46a | 251 ± 43b | 239 ± 54ab | |
| Palisade cell number/100 μm leaflet section | 3 | 9.9 ± 1.7a | 10.0 ± 1.2a | 9.5 ± 1.0a |
| 5 | 10.1 ± 1.4a | 10.3 ± 1.1a | 9.9 ± 1.5a | |
| Spongy cell number/100 μm leaflet section | 3 | 9.8 ± 1.9a | 9.2 ± 1.5a | 9.4 ± 1.5a |
| 5 | 9.8 ± 2.0a | 9.9 ± 1.3a | 9.4 ± 2.4a | |
| Number of chloroplasts/palisade cell section | 3 | 8.4 ± 1.9a | 9.6 ± 2.0b | 9.2 ± 2.0ab |
| 5 | 8.6 ± 2.5a | 10.0 ± 2.4b | 8.7 ± 1.9a | |
| Number of chloroplasts/spongy cell section | 3 | 7.4 ± 1.5a | 8.4 ± 2.0b | 7.8 ± 2.3ab |
| 5 | 7.6 ± 2.0a | 7.8 ± 2.1a | 7.5 ± 1.9a |
The data are means of four plants ± SD. Values with different letters in each row are significantly different across treatments according to Kruskal-Wallis non-parameteric ANOVA followed by Mann-Whitney rank-sum test (P<0.05). Mycorrhization conditions were as follows: M% 30±7, F% 62±7, A% 17±5 (at 3 wpi) and M% 90±2, F% 100±0, A% 53±8 (at 5 wpi). wpi, weeks post inoculation.