Waxes and Other Surface Characteristics of Fruit and Leaves of Native Vaccinium elliotti Chapm.1

Abstract

Abstract Fruit color of selections of native V. elliotti Chapm. varied from black to blue. Wax on fruit was occasionally found to be globular in form but most often waxes were found to range from flat plates to upright platelets and from horizontal rods to long upright rods. Combinations of wax forms occurred in varying densities on the fruit of native selections. Upright rods and platelets accounted for the blue fruit color. Mature black fruit usually had a limited amount of platelet wax and no rodlet structures. β-Diketones were absent or nearly absent on these mature black fruit. Black fruit had some of the higher weight loss measurements. The paraffin content of the fruit wax was relatively high at one location for some black selections and appeared to reduce weight losses of these selections to levels similar to the bluer selections. Leaves had only globular wax forms, less wax than fruit, and considerable variation in the density of acerate trichomes. Leaf hair density and distribution on leaves was independent of variation in wax forms on fruit.