Group means (and standard error in parentheses) for invasive and native species, and for legumes and non-legumes grown at 300 µmol photon m⁻² s⁻¹.

Statistical effects of ‘origin’ (native/invasive) and ‘legume’ (legume/non-legume) are F-ratios with statistically significant values denoted by * P<0.05 and ** P<0.01. For both analyses, ‘species’ (df = 8) was nested within ‘origin’ (df = 1) or ‘legume’ (df = 1). Trait abbreviations: Aarea, photosynthetic rate ( µmol CO2 m–2 leaf s–1); Amass, photosynthetic rate (nmol g−1 s−1); Vmax, maximum rate of carboxylation ( µmol CO2 m–2 leaf s−1); Jmax, maximum electron transport rate ( µmol electrons m−2 s−1); φPSII, effective quantum yield of PSII, (ΔF/Fm’); Narea, leaf N (g N m−2); Nmass, leaf N (mg N g−1); PNUE, photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency ( µmol CO2 mol–1 N s–1); LMA, leaf mass per area (g m−2); Leaf thickness (mm); Leaf density (g cm−3); Psol, soluble protein (mg N g−1 and g N m−2); Pmem, membrane-bound protein (mg N g−1 and g N m−2); Pcw, cell-wall protein (mg N g−1 and g N m−2); AA, amino acid (mg N g−1); TNA, total nucleic acid (mg N g−1); NH4+, ammonium (mg N g−1); NO3−, nitrate (mg N g−1); Chl, Chorophyll A + B (ug g−1 and mg m−2);% N, percent of total leaf N.