Growth and regeneration of waxes on the leaves of Eucalyptus

Abstract

The relationships of wax morphology to wax chemistry and the effects of light intensity on wax development were investigated using rubbing techniques to produce nearly wax free cuticular surfaces. Wax regeneration took place rapidly on leaves which were in their exponential stage of expansion, but only slowly on those that had fully expanded. The pattern of wax development suggested that tube waxes originate as flat plates that fuse along one edge to form a hollow structure.