Table 2 Leaf area (LA; average ± SD in m² per pot) of the four species under different levels of relative extractable water (REW) and radiation. Lowercase and uppercase letters indicate statistically significant differences between modalities for a species and between species for the same modality, respectively (ANOVA, P < 0.05). Outdoors treatment was not included in the analysis

70 % radiation

100 % REW

0.49 ± 0.13 (abc)A

0.34 ± 0.05 (a)B

0.27 ± 0.05 (a)BC

0.16 ± 0.11 (a)C

40 % REW

0.39 ± 0.12 (bc)A

0.30 ± 0.05 (ab)AB

0.26 ± 0.06 (a)B

0.10 ± 0.06 (a)C

20 % REW

0.33 ± 0.09 (c)A

0.29 ± 0.02 (ab)A

0.25 ± 0.06 (a)A

0.11 ± 0.07 (a)B

20 % radiation

100 % REW

0.72 ± 0.22 (a)A

0.33 ± 0.11 (ab)B

0.24 ± 0.06 (a)B

0.09 ± 0.03 (a)C

40 % REW

0.64 ± 0.14 (a)A

0.28 ± 0.05 (ab)B

0.27 ± 0.08 (a)B

0.07 ± 0.04 (a)C

20 % REW

0.58 ± 0.19 (ab)A

0.25 ± 0.02 (b)B

0.20 ± 0.05 (a)B

0.12 ± 0.06 (a)C

Outdoors

100 % REW

0.23 ± 0.15

0.29 ± 0.07

0.20 ± 0.07

0.07 ± 0.01