Low secondary leaf waxn-alkane synthesis on fully mature leaves of C3 grasses grown at controlled environmental conditions and variable humidity

Abstract

Leaf wax n-alkanes are long-chained aliphatic compounds that are present in the cuticle of terrestrial plant leaves. Their δ2 H values are used for the reconstruction of past environments and for plant ecological investigations. The timing of n-alkane synthesis during leaf development and the rate of synthesis of secondary n-alkanes in fully matured leaves are still a matter of debate. Using a 2 H-labeling approach we estimated secondary leaf wax n-alkane synthesis rates in mature leaf blades of six C3 grass species grown in climate chambers under controlled environmental conditions. We found that mature grass leaves continue the synthesis of leaf wax n-alkanes after leaf maturation. The rate of secondary n-alkanes synthesis was, however, relatively low and varied in response to atmospheric humidity and among species from 0.09 to 1.09% per day. Our investigation provides new evidence on the timing of cuticular wax synthesis in grass leaves and indicates that the majority of n-alkanes are synthesized during the initial development of the leaf. Our study will improve the interpretation of leaf wax n-alkane δ2 H values in environmental and geological studies as it suggests that secondary synthesis of leaf wax n-alkanes in grass leaves contributes only slightly to the geological record. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.