Table 1. Plant functional attributes and elements used to generate plant functional types (functional modi) based on photosynthetic envelopes or functional "leaves" and their supporting vascular structures.

Attribute
Element
         Description
Leaf size
nr
 No repeating leaf units
 
pi
 Picophyll < 2 mm2
 
le
 Leptophyll 2–25 mm2
 
na
 Nanophyll 25–225 mm2
 
mi
 Microphyll 225–2025 mm2
 
no
 Notophyll 2025–4500 mm2
 
me
 Mesophyll 4500–18,200 mm2
 
pl
 Platyphyll 18,200–36,400 mm2
 
ma
 Macrophyll 36,400–18 x 104 mm2
 
mg
 Megaphyll > 18 x 104 mm2
Leaf inclination
ve
 Vertical > 30° above horizontal
 
la
 Lateral > 30° to horizontal
 
pe
 Pendulous > 30° below horizontal
 
co
 Composite
Leaf chlorotype
do
 Dorsiventral
 
is
 Isobilateral or isocentric
 
de
 Deciduous
 
ct
 Cortic (photosynthetic stem)
 
ac
 Achlorophyllous (without chlorophyll)
Leaf morphotype
ro
 Rosulate or rosette
 
so
 Solid three-dimensional
 
su
 Succulent
 
pv
 Parallel-veined
 
fi
 filicoid (fern), e.g., pteridophytes
 
ca
 Carnivorous, e.g., Nepenthes
Life form
ph
 Phanerophyte
 
ch
 Chamaephyte
 
hc
 Hemicryptophyte
 
cr
 Cryptophyte
 
th
 Therophyte
 
li
 Liane
Root type
ad
 Adventitious
 
ae
 Aerating, e.g., pneumatophore
 
ep
 Epiphytic
 
hy
 Hydrophytic
 
pa
 Parasitic