Table 3 Physiological parameters of Solanum surattense sampled from dryland ecosystems. Values are mean ± se (n = 10). Mean values in a row with different superscript letters are significantly different (p < 0.05 of the analysis of variance –ANOVA-across sites and post-hoc least significant difference –LSD-test of multiple comparisons among sites).

Proline (µmol g⁻¹ fw.)

30.93 ± 1.2c

39.00 ± 1.5b

39.65 ± 1.6a

23.26 ± 1.1de

23.89 ± 1.0de

29.37 ± 1.3c

24.98 ± 1.2d

22.17 ± 0.9e

22.77 ± 1.0e

25.66 ± 1.1d

Total soluble sugar (µmol g⁻¹ fw.)

10.45 ± 0.6c

12.61 ± 0.7b

13.39 ± 0.8a

8.98 ± 0.5f

9.54 ± 0.6e

11.02 ± 0.7d

11.28 ± 0.7d

7.00 ± 0.4 g

7.44 ± 0.5 g

8.59 ± 0.5 h

Total free amino acid (µmol g⁻¹ fw.)

17.43 ± 0.8d

21.96 ± 1.0b

22.35 ± 1.1a

17.86 ± 0.9d

19.06 ± 0.9c

19.62 ± 0.9c

17.76 ± 0.8d

13.93 ± 0.6e

14.87 ± 0.7f

15.30 ± 0.7f

Chlorophyll a (mg g⁻¹ fw.)

1.44 ± 0.09c

1.40 ± 0.08d

0.98 ± 0.06e

0.87 ± 0.05f

0.80 ± 0.04 g

1.49 ± 0.10b

1.62 ± 0.11a

0.70 ± 0.03 h

0.69 ± 0.03i

0.54 ± 0.02j

Chlorophyll b (mg g⁻¹ fw.)

1.17 ± 0.07b

1.15 ± 0.06c

0.64 ± 0.04f

0.62 ± 0.04 g

0.49 ± 0.03 h

1.18 ± 0.08a

1.24 ± 0.09a

0.42 ± 0.02j

0.26 ± 0.01i

0.27 ± 0.01i

Chlorophyll a/b (mg g⁻¹ fw.)

1.23 ± 0.05 h

1.21 ± 0.04 g

1.53 ± 0.07e

1.41 ± 0.06f

1.63 ± 0.08d

1.26 ± 0.05f

1.30 ± 0.06f

1.68 ± 0.09c

2.68 ± 0.12a

1.98 ± 0.10b

Carotenoid (mg g⁻¹ fw.)

0.23 ± 0.01d

0.23 ± 0.01d

0.23 ± 0.01d

0.29 ± 0.02c

0.29 ± 0.02c

0.40 ± 0.02a

0.29 ± 0.02c

0.20 ± 0.01e

0.30 ± 0.02b

0.26 ± 0.01d

Total chlorophyll (mg g⁻¹ fw.)

2.40 ± 0.10d

2.36 ± 0.09d

2.17 ± 0.08f

2.02 ± 0.07 g

2.12 ± 0.08f

2.44 ± 0.11c

2.54 ± 0.12b

2.10 ± 0.08f

2.94 ± 0.14a

2.25 ± 0.09e

Carotenoid/chlorophyll (mg g⁻¹ fw.)

0.10 ± 0.01e

0.10 ± 0.01e

0.11 ± 0.01d

0.15 ± 0.02a

0.14 ± 0.02b

0.12 ± 0.01c

0.11 ± 0.01d

0.10 ± 0.01e

0.10 ± 0.01e

0.12 ± 0.01c