Table 1 Leaf morphological variation of Croton blanchetianus, grown in full sunlight and natural shade. Data were collected during the wet season (May/July) and dry season (October/December) of 2015. Capital letters denote significant differences between months within the same light conditions, and lower-case letters denote significant differences between each light condition within the same month (p ≤ 0.001, Newman–Keuls test). The values represent the mean of 20 replicates.

Lamina thickness

Leaf (μm)

236.1 Aa

221.8 Ba

216.4 Ba

197.8 Ca

196.7 Ab

163.5 Bb

162.3 Bb

151.3 Cb

Adaxial epidermis (μm)

30.8 Aa

31.6 Aa

32.2 Aa

31.0 Aa

26.0 Ab

22.5 Bb

20.8 Bb

24.5 Bb

Abaxial epidermis (μm)

11.9 Aa

11.2 Aa

11.3 Aa

11.7 Aa

11.2 Aa

11.1 Aa

11.2 Aa

11.8 Aa

Palisade mesophyll (μm)

106.1 Aa

97.8 Ba

96.4 Ba

82.6 Ca

92.0 Ab

69.1 Bb

70.3 Bb

70.5 Bb

Spongy mesophyll (μm)

88.8 Aa

82.6 Ba

77.5 Ba

73.2 Ca

69.8 Ab

62.6 Bb

50.4 Bb

45.4 Cb

Lamina air spaces

Palisade mesophyll (%)

7.0 Bb

7.2 Bb

7.1 Bb

10.9 Ab

12.6 Aa

12.0 Aa

14.3 Ba

14.6 Ba

Spongy mesophyll (%)

19.5 Cb

20.1 Cb

32.5 Bb

35.9 Ab

29.4 Ba

29.2 Ba

38.2 Aa

38.8 Aa

Midrib

Thickness (mm)

1.004 Aa

0.980 Aa

0.736 Ba

0.688 Ba

0.916 Ab

0.928 Ab

0.764 Ba

0.630 Ca

Length (mm)

1.169 Aa

1.014 Ba

0.823 Ca

0.821 Ca

1.011 Ab

0.968 Ab

0.834 Ba

0.690 Cb

Area (mm²)

0.858 Aa

0.843 Aa

0.378 Ba

0.349 Ba

0.622 Ab

0.650 Ab

0.385 Ba

0.257 Cb

Midrib xylem

Thickness (μm)

80.8 Aa

86.3 Aa

79.7 Aa

66.7 Ba

67.6 Ab

70.5 Ab

63.9 Ab

52.4 Bb

Area (mm²)

0.082 Aa

0.081 Aa

0.038 Ba

0.027 Ca

0.049 Ab

0.042 Bb

0.031 Cb

0.022 Db

Vessel

Area (μm²)

65.5 Aa

59.6 Aa

37.4 Ba

28.7 Ca

69.9 Aa

58.3 Ba

38.5 Ca

30.0 Da

Number of cells

204 Aa

194 Aa

111 Ba

83 Ca

126 Ab

120 Ab

91 Bb

70 Cb