Decoupled leaf and root carbon economics is a key component in the ecological diversity and evolutionary divergence of deciduous and evergreen lineages of genus <i>Rhododendron</i>

Our work suggests that natural selection has shaped relationships between above- and belowground traits in genus <i>Rhododendron</i> and that leaf and root traits may evolve independently. Morphological decoupling may help explain habitat diversity among <i>Rhododendron</i> species, as well as the changes accompanying the divergence of deciduous and evergreen lineages.