Tree or not a tree: Differences in plant functional traits among geoxyles and closely related tree species

Geoxyles and their congeneric tree species are a very common feature in the Zambezian Floristic Region, however, little is known about differing expression of plant functional traits between the two life forms and thus their evolutionary adaptations to prevailing habitat conditions. Therefore, we measured selected plant functional traits and compared them between the geoxyle and tree growth forms. We selected six species pairs that are common in...