Combined high leaf hydraulic safety and efficiency provides drought tolerance in <i>Caragana</i> species adapted to low mean annual precipitation

Summary Clarifying the coordination of leaf hydraulic traits with gas exchange across closely‐related species adapted to varying rainfall can provide insights into plant habitat distribution and drought adaptation. The leaf hydraulic conductance ( K leaf ), stomatal conductance ( g s ), net assimilation ( A ), vein embolism and abscisic acid (ABA) concentration during dehydration were quantified, as well as pressure–volume curve traits and vein anatomy in 10 Caragana species adapted to a range of mean annual precipitation (MAP) conditions and growing in a common garden. We found a positive correlation between Ψ leaf at 50% loss of K leaf ( K leaf P 50 ) and maximum K leaf ( K leaf‐max ) across species. Species from low‐MAP…