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Epicuticular Wax Ultrastructure Among Lines of Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees Developed for Seedling Drouth Tolerance¹

Leaf surface ultrastructure was studied on seven lines of Lehmann lovegrass, Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees. These were selected from 36 experimental lines that had previously exhibited a wide range of seedling drouth tolerance. They included four of the most drouth-tolerant lines and three that were drouth susceptible. Electron microscopy revealed that leaves of all lines were covered with a basic type of epicuticular wax structure, consisting of small crystalline bodies in combination with various types of ribbons and tubes. Presence of the large wax plates were unique on leaf surfaces of drouth-tolerant lines. The plates were never found on the drouth susceptible lines. Investigation by transmission electron microscopy suggested that the plates were situated horizontally on top of the smaller aggregates, but subsequent examination by scanning electron microscopy revealed that they were oriented vertically to the leaf surface. The wax morphology could serve as a valuable characteristic for selection of germplasm for seedling drouth tolerance and associated responses among Eragrostis sp. and other arid grassland species.

Key Words: Plant breeding • Crystalline wax • Cuticle • Electron microscopy • Genetic control • Lehmann lovegrass • SEM • TEM • Wax plates • Wax ribbons • Wax tubes

² Plant physiologist, SEA, USDA, and professor, Dep. of Watershed Management, Univ. of Arizona; research leader, SEA, USDA, and professor, Dep. of Plant Science, Univ. of Arizona; and research associate, School of Renweable Natural Resources, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721.

Received for publication December 19, 1977.

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