title: Micromorphology of epicuticular waxes and epistomatal chambers of pine species by electron microscopy and white light scanning interferometry.
abstract: High-resolution imaging and quantitative surface analysis of epicuticular waxes and epistomatal chambers of pine species were performed by field emission scanning electron microscopy and white light scanning interferometry. Both juvenile and adult needles were collected from the two-year-old seedlings of Pinus rigida and Pinus densiflora and subjected to surface observations. Epicuticular wax structures developed on the cuticle layer as well as in the epistomatal chambers and appeared to occlude the cavities in the two pine species. The stomata of P. densiflora were characterized by more distinctly raised rings around openings than P. rigida. The most common epicuticular wax structures of the two pine species included tubules with terminal openings and coiled rodlets. Wax platelets were deposited on epistomatal chambers. Either rodlets or tubules seemed to be longer and thicker in P. rigida than those in P. densiflora. White light scanning interferometry revealed quantitative surface profiles, demonstrating more ridged (ca. 4 μm high) stomatal apertures and nearly twofold deeper (ca. 20 μm deep) epistomatal chambers of P. densiflora than those of P. rigida. These results suggest that white light scanning interferometry can be applied to unravel the quantitative surface features of epicuticular sculptures on plant leaves.
authors.affiliation: National Instrumentation Center for Environmental Management, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea. kiwoo@snu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Ki Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: In Jung
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Chang Soo
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Don Koo
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun Woo
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D007368:Interferometry; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D028223:Pinus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D019441:Plant Epidermis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014885:Waxes / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D014885:Waxes