Supporting information
Table S1 . 18 C4 grasses, along with biochemical
subtype and evolutionary lineage, used in the current study (Adapted
from Pathare et al ., 2020).
Table S2 . Mean ± SE (n = 3 to 6) values along with the
corresponding letters of post-hoc Tukey’s test for important leaf level
traits measured in 18 C4 grasses.
Table S3 . Results of one-way ANOVA with species as main effects
for the traits measured in 18 C4 grasses.
Table S4 . Component loadings for important leaf level traits
determined on 18 diverse C4 grasses.
Fig. S1 Representation of the anatomical traits associated with
mesophyll conductance to CO2 (gm) and
leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) measured in current
study.
Fig. S2 Relationship of mean annual precipitation with (a)
mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular air space
(Smes), (b) extent of Smes covered by
chloroplast (Sc), (c) mesophyll conductance
(gm), (d) mesophyll cell wall thickness
(MCW), (e) adaxial stomatal density
(SDada) and (f) abaxial stomatal density
(SDaba) for the 18 C4 grasses.
Fig. S3 Relationship of mean annual precipitation with (a)
stomatal ratio (SR), (b) N content per unit leaf area
(Narea), (c) stomatal conductance to water
(gsw), (d) leaf thickness and (e) average vein to
epidermis distance (VED) for the 18 C4 grasses.
Fig. S4 Relationship of mean annual precipitation with (a) vein
to adaxial epidermis distance (VEDada), (b) vein to
abaxial epidermis distance (VEDaba), (c) interveinal
distance (IVD), (d) Bundle sheath cell wall thickness
(BSCW), (e) BS exposed to intercellular air space
(BSias) and (f) BS area ratio for the 18
C4 grasses.
Fig. S5 Relationship of mesophyll conductance to
CO2 (gm) with (a) mesophyll surface area
exposed to intercellular air spaces (Smes), (b)
Mesophyll (M) cell wall thickness (MCW), (c) adaxial
stomatal density (SDada), (d) stomatal ratio or ratio of
adaxial to abaxial stomatal density (SR), (e) abaxial stomatal density
(SDaba), (f) stomatal conductance to water
(gsw) and (g) net CO2 assimilation rates
(Anet) for the 18 C4 grasses.
Fig. S6 Mean (± SE) habitat (a) mean annual precipitation and
(b) mean annual temperature for 18 C4 grasses measured in current study.
Species names shown on the x-axis correspond to the description in Table
S1.
Table 1. Relations between habitat climate variables (MAP and
MAT) and important anatomical, stomatal and functional traits associated
with carbon gain and water use in 18 diverse C4 grasses.