Leaf Surface Characteristics Research Articles

Pharmacognostic evaluation of Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb

The present study was conducted to investigate the Bergenia ciliata (Haw.) Sternb. (Family: Saxifragaceae) for pharmacognostic study including macroscopical and microscopical observations, leaf surface features, Scanning Electron Microscopy and Fluorescence characters. The macroscopy revealed that rhizome was brown in color, hard in fracture, pleasant in odor and astringent in taste. Leaf was cordate, green in color and indistinct in taste and odour, while microscopy of rhizome and leaf showed typical dicot histological differentiation. Leaf was amphistomatic having anomocytic stomata on both the epidermises. The quantitative leaf study showed that the stomatal numbers of upper and lower epidermises were (20± 0.7) and (24.2 ± 2.7) (average ± SEM), while stomatal index was (15.6 ± 2.6) and (27.4 ± 3.9) respectively. Vein islet and vein termination number was (20.6 ± 4.09 and 26.6 ± 5.01), while palisade ratio remained (12.3 ± 3.71). SEM of the powder showed non-glandular trichomes, spiral vessels, parenchymatous tissues and fragments of epidermis with anomocytic stomata. Fluorescence study indicates different shadows of colors like brown, black, greenish, yellowish, red, brown, dark black, pink etc. that revealed the presence of different fluorescent chemical compounds. The current research was done for the first time on Bergenia and might be beneficial for its accurate identification, standardization and will give a base for its pharmacognistic applications. Keywords: Bergenia ciliata; Pharmacognostic evaluation; Quantitative leaf microscopy; SEM; Fluorescence study http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2017.60081

Indoor simulations reveal differences among plant species in capturing particulate matter.

A number of studies have focused on the capacity of urban trees and shrubs to serve as efficient biological filters to mitigate air pollution. In this study, five different tree species were assessed for this function. Kerria japonica, Sophora japonica, Philadelphus pekinensis, Gleditsia sinensis, and Prunus persica 'Atropurpurea' were tested in a deposition chamber using (NH4)2SO4 particles. We quantified and compared the capability of all tested trees to remove particles by assessing deposition velocity, a measure of the ability to remove particles. When placed in the deposition chamber, S. japonica had the greatest deposition velocity, followed by Philadelphus pekinensis, G. sinensis, Prunus persica 'Atropurpurea,' and K. japonica, in descending order. In addition, the comparison of deposition velocities among these species suggested that certain leaf geometries and surface characteristics of broadleaf trees, such as trichomes and grooves, increased particle capture. However, these results change under a different simulation condition using ambient air, suggesting that some trees actually increase pollutant number concentrations more than reduce particle concentration. This outcome can be explained by the aerodynamic effect of trees exceeding the filtering capacity of vegetation under some conditions. This highlights the difficulty of generalizing species selection criteria for practice use. Accordingly, our results indicate that using vegetation to reduce particle pollution and improve the air quality is not a universally advisable and viable solution.

Spray droplet impaction outcomes for different plant species and spray formulations

A track-sprayer combined with a high-speed camera were used to visualize and identify droplet impaction outcomes for three formulations (water, 0.1% LI 700® (lecithin, a mixture of soya oils, propionic acid and surfactants) in water and 0.1% Pulse® (non-ionic surfactant, trisiloxane ethoxylate) in water) on four plant species (bean (Vicia faba L.), avocado (Persea americana L.), barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli L. P. Beauv.) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.)) selected to represent a wide range of leaf surface characters. Droplet sizes and velocities were measured by image analysis and a multiple hypothesis tracking algorithm. Impaction outcomes were categorized into adhesion, bounce, or shatter. The probability of each outcome was estimated from logistic regression models related to the dimensionless Weber number. This approach is in contrast to various deterministic threshold criteria for droplet bounce or shatter that have been used to model droplet impaction events on leaves. It also provides a simple visual and numerical presentation of the complexity of impaction processes, and the relative influence of leaf surface character versus formulation for droplets with different impaction energies.

Relationship between Leaf Surface Characteristics and Particle Capturing Capacities of Different Tree Species in Beijing

Leaf surface is a multifunctional interface between a plant and its environment, which affects both ecological and biological processes. Leaf surface topography directly affects microhabitat availability and ability for deposition. In this study, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and the resuspended particulate matter method were applied to evaluate the adsorptive capacity of the leaf surface. Patterns of particulate‐capturing capacities in different tree species and the effect of leaf surface features on these capacities were explored. Results indicated the following: (1) more total suspended particles (TSP) per unit leaf area were captured by coniferous tree species than by broad‐leaved tree species in a particular order—i.e., Pinus tabuliformis > Pinus bungeana > Salix matsudana > Acer truncatum > Ginkgo biloba > Populus tomentosa; (2) Significant seasonal variation in particulate‐capturing capacities were determined. During the observation period, the broad‐leaved tree species capturing TSP and coarse particulate matter (PM10) clearly exhibited a ∩‐shape pattern— that is, increasing initially and later on decreasing; meanwhile, the ∩‐shape pattern was not clearly shown in P. tabuliformis and P. bungeana. However, no obvious patterns in the absorption of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) were found in the tested tree species; (3) The leaf surface topography, as observed by AFM and scanning electron microscopy, revealed that the broad‐leaved tree exhibits a good correlation between micro‐roughness of leaf surfaces and density of particles settling on leaf surfaces over time. However, the main factors affecting the adsorptive capacities of the leaves in coniferous trees are the number of stomata as well as the amount of epicuticular wax and the properties of the cuticle in different seasons.

Oviposition site selection by a lepidopteran leafminer in response to heterogeneity of leaf surface conditions: structural traits and microclimates

1. Leafminer larvae are sedentary and make feeding tracks called mines. Their spatial distribution in trees affects their growth and survival through interaction with the heterogeneity of environments, such as leaf traits and microclimate. Lepidopteran leafminers that mine lower leaf surfaces have shown evolutionary radiation, suggesting that lower surfaces improve leafminer performance.2. The lepidopteran multivoltine leafminer Phyllocnistis sp. Zeller (Gracirallidae: Phyllocnistinae) uses the Japanese privet Ligustrum japonicum Thunb. (Oleaceae). It mines only the lower‐surface epidermal layer of primary shoot leaves early in the occurrence season, but once lammas shoots appear, which happens in seasons other than spring, it preferentially uses the lower surface, but also uses the upper surface of the leaves. This study examined whether selection of oviposition sites was associated with the structural traits and microclimate of the leaf surface.3. The shift of oviposition site from primary to lammas shoot leaves followed increasing hardness and epidermal cell wall thickness of primary shoot leaves during leaf development, and mine initiation rates decreased below 20% after oviposition on mature primary shoot leaves. Preference for the lower surface was related to the thinner cuticle. However, the thinner cuticle of the upper surface on lammas shoot leaves allowed Phyllocnistis sp. to expand its mining sites to both surfaces with no decrease in mine initiation and emergence rates.4. Microclimates (leaf surface and mine temperatures) did not differ between upper and lower surfaces, suggesting that microclimate did not affect oviposition site selection by Phyllocnistis sp. These results suggest that the adaptive radiation of lower‐surface mining may have been influenced by the leaf surface characteristics.

Retention of Atmospheric Particulate by Three Woody Ornamental Species in Santiago, Chile

It is traditionally accepted that urban vegetation contributes to improve air quality by intercepting and retaining the particulate matter. Although the mitigating role of plants has been recognized by several studies, the role of individual species is still poorly understood. This is particularly important in cities like Santiago (Chile), which has high levels of atmospheric particulate and also has high plant species diversity. In this study, we evaluated the retention of atmospheric particles by three widely distributed ornamental species (Nerium oleander, Pittosporum tobira, and Ligustrum lucidum) in Santiago. For this proposal, we took leaf samples in different sampling points across the city which vary in their concentration of atmospheric particulate. Samples were taken 12 and 16 days after a rainfall episode that washed the leaves of plants in the sampling sites. In the laboratory, leaves were washed to recover the surface retained particles that were collected to determine its mass gravimetrically. With this information, we estimated the foliar retention (mass of particulate matter retained in the foliar surface) and daily retention efficiency (mass of particulate matter retained in the foliar surface per day). We found that foliar retention and daily retention efficiency varied significantly between the studied species. The leaves of N. oleander retained 8.2 g m−2 of particulate matter on average, those of P. tobira 6.1 g m−2, and those of L. lucidum 3.9 g m−2; meanwhile, the daily retention efficiencies of particulate matter were 0.6, 0.4, and 0.3 g m−2 day−1 for N. oleander, P. tobira, and L. lucidum, respectively. These results suggest that the studied species retain atmospheric particulate matter differentially in Santiago. These results can be attributed to differences on leaf surface characteristics. The recognition of the most efficient species in the retention of the atmospheric particulate matter can help to decide which species can be used to improve the air quality in the city.

Leaf surface characters related to resistance against pepper yellow leaf curl disease

Leaf surface characters related to resistance against pepper yellow leaf curl disease

Cold resistance of four evergreen broad-leaved tree species

The leaves of four evergreen plants, i.e., Fatsia japonica, Nerium indicum, Mahonia bealei and Acer cinnamomifolium were used as the experimental materials. By measuring the changes of in vitro leaf in soluble sugar, soluble protein, free proline, POD activity, chlorophyll content and relative electrolytic conductivity under aritificial simulated low temperature, combining the measurements of SPAD, leaf surface features and anatomical changes in organizational structure in the process of natural wintering, the cold resistance of four evergreen tree species was evaluated comprehensively. The results showed that in the process of artificial low temperature stress, the chlorophyll content of the leaves of four evergreen species decreased, the content of soluble protein pea-ked at -20 ℃, and the soluble sugar, free proline, POD activity and relative electrolytic conductivity showed an overall upward trend. The semilethal temperatures of four species were -8.0, -13.4, -19.4 and -14.8 ℃, respectively. During the winter, the leaf SPAD of the four species changed markedly, reflecting that the change of relative chlorophyll content was related to the change of temperature. Meanwhile, the leaf thickness, cutin layer thickness, stockade tissue thickness and tightness of four species increased and the plasmolysis occurred thereafter. Also the content of starch grains and calcium oxalate cluster crystal increased. The typical stomatal pits and the intensive non-glandular trichome within the pits of N. indicum and the sclerenchyma of M. Bealei could improve the cold resistance of plants to some extent. In addition, the phenomena like the breakage of wax layer in leaf surface, the fracture of epidermal hair and the deformation of palisade tissue indicated that plants were damaged to a certain extent by low temperature.

Laser Scanning Based Growth Analysis of Plants as a New Challenge for Deformation Monitoring

AbstractNowadays, the areal deformation analysis has become an important task in engineering geodesy. Thereby, not only manmade objects are of high interest, also natural objects, like plant organs, are focused more frequently. Thus, the analysis of leaf growth, i. e. the spatial development of the leaf surface, can be seen as a problem of deformation monitoring. In contrast to classical geodetic tasks, the absolute size of the deformation of the leaf surface is small, but usually great compared to the object size. Due to the optical characteristics of leaf surfaces, the point clouds, commonly acquired with high precision close-up laser scanners, provide a point-to-point distance that is small or equal compared to the measurement accuracy. Thus, the point clouds are usually processed and the leaf area is derived from a triangulation-based surface representation (mesh), resulting in a significant uncertainty of area calculation. In this paper, we illustrate the lacks of the mesh-based leaf area calculation. Using high precision gauge blocks as well as a number of tomato leaves, uncertainties of the area derivation are revealed and evaluated. The application of a B-spline approximation illustrates the advantages of an approximation-based approach and introduces the prospect for further research.

3D leaf water content mapping using terrestrial laser scanner backscatter intensity with radiometric correction

Leaf water content (LWC) plays an important role in agriculture and forestry management. It can be used to assess drought conditions and wildfire susceptibility. Terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) data have been widely used in forested environments for retrieving geometrically-based biophysical parameters. Recent studies have also shown the potential of using radiometric information (backscatter intensity) for estimating LWC. However, the usefulness of backscatter intensity data has been limited by leaf surface characteristics, and incidence angle effects. To explore the idea of using LiDAR intensity data to assess LWC we normalized (for both angular effects and leaf surface properties) shortwave infrared TLS data (1550nm). A reflectance model describing both diffuse and specular reflectance was applied to remove strong specular backscatter intensity at a perpendicular angle. Leaves with different surface properties were collected from eight broadleaf plant species for modeling the relationship between LWC and backscatter intensity. Reference reflectors (Spectralon from Labsphere, Inc.) were used to build a look-up table to compensate for incidence angle effects. Results showed that before removing the specular influences, there was no significant correlation (R2=0.01, P>0.05) between the backscatter intensity at a perpendicular angle and LWC. After the removal of the specular influences, a significant correlation emerged (R2=0.74, P<0.05). The agreement between measured and TLS-derived LWC demonstrated a significant reduction of RMSE (root mean square error, from 0.008 to 0.003g/cm2) after correcting for the incidence angle effect. We show that it is possible to use TLS to estimate LWC for selected broadleaved plants with an R2 of 0.76 (significance level α=0.05) at leaf level. Further investigations of leaf surface and internal structure will likely result in improvements of 3D LWC mapping for studying physiology and ecology in vegetation.

MECHANISMS FOR WEAR TOLERANCE AMONG BERMUDAGRASS (CYNODON SPP.) GENOTYPES: CELL WALL COMPONENTS AND LEAF ANATOMY

Wear damage is one of the biggest problems associated with continuous use on sports and recreational turfgrass fields. Wear tolerance of 8 bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.) genotypes including 6 ecotypes collected from regional Australia and two commercial cultivars were evaluated in the field. Green cover after wear treatment of ecotypes 394 and MED3 was over 50% higher than the lowest genotypes. The wear tolerant genotypes also had significantly higher acid detergent fibre content, cellulose, lignin and total cell wall content than wear susceptible genotypes. Optical and scanning electron microscopies were used to study stolon and leaf transverse sections and leaf surface characteristics, respectively. Transverse sections of stolons and leaves, suggested that the fibre area surrounding vascular bundles of the wear tolerant genotypes was about 50% higher than the wear susceptible ones. Scanning electron micrographs of the leaf surface suggested that the arrangement of epidermal cells formed a ridged pattern. The gaps between the ridges of wear tolerant genotypes were shorter than those of the wear susceptible genotypes. Collectively, these results suggested that the mechanism of wear tolerance was associated with high fibre content in stolons and leaves. In addition, we suggest that the wear tolerant genotypes have a denser ridge pattern of epidermal cells probably giving the leaves greater tensile strength.

A high-frequency in vitro multiplication, micromorphological studies and ex vitro rooting of Cadaba fruticosa (L.) Druce (Bahuguni): a multipurpose endangered medicinal shrub.

An efficient and reproducible in vitro propagation protocol has been established for Cadaba fruticosa (L.) Druce. Surface-sterilized nodal stem segments of mature plant were used as explants for culture establishment. Multiple shoots were optimally differentiated from the nodal stem explants through bud breaking on Murashige and Skoog (1962) medium containing 3.0mg l(-1) benzyladenine (BA). The effect of different plant growth regulators and minerals were studied on different stages of micropropagation procedure (i.e., explant establishment, shoot multiplication/growth and ex vitro rooting). Additionally, for enhancing shoot multiplication during subculture, MS medium was modified (MMS) with higher levels of magnesium, potassium and sulphate ions. Out of these, MMS3 medium containing 0.25mg l(-1) each of BA and Kin (N6-furfuryladenine), with 0.1mg l(-1) NAA (α-naphthalene acetic acid) was found the best for shoot multiplication (42.45 ± 3.82 per culture vessel). The in vitro regenerated shoots were rooted under ex vitro conditions on treating the shoot base with 500mg l(-1) of IBA (indole-3 butyric acid) for 3min on sterile Soilrite®. The ex vitro rooted plants were hardened in the greenhouse and transferred to the field with ≈85% survival rate. There were not any visual differences between wild and micropropagated plants in the field, although the later underwent significant changes during acclimatization. Micromorphological changes on leaf surface characters from in vitro to acclimatized plantlets were studied in terms of development of glandular trichomes, changes in vein spacing and vein structure in order to understand the nature of plant responses towards environmental conditions. The method developed and defined can be applied for commercial cultivation, which may be important for extraction of bioactive compounds and may facilitate conservation of this multipurpose endangered medicinal shrub.

Older leaves of lettuce (Lactuca spp.) support higher levels of Salmonella enterica ser. Senftenberg attachment and show greater variation between plant accessions than do younger leaves.

Salmonella can bind to the leaves of salad crops including lettuce and survive for commercially relevant periods. Previous studies have shown that younger leaves are more susceptible to colonization than older leaves and that colonization levels are dependent on both the bacterial serovar and the lettuce cultivar. In this study, we investigated the ability of two Lactuca sativa cultivars (Saladin and Iceberg) and an accession of wild lettuce (L. serriola) to support attachment of Salmonella enterica serovar Senftenberg, to the first and fifth to sixth true leaves and the associations between cultivar-dependent variation in plant leaf surface characteristics and bacterial attachment. Attachment levels were higher on older leaves than on the younger ones and these differences were associated with leaf vein and stomatal densities, leaf surface hydrophobicity and leaf surface soluble protein concentrations. Vein density and leaf surface hydrophobicity were also associated with cultivar-specific differences in Salmonella attachment, although the latter was only observed in the older leaves and was also associated with level of epicuticular wax.

Scanning electron micrographs of leaves of British Carex species, 3. Subgenus Carex: sections Vesicariae, Carex, Pseudocyperae, Limosae and Phacocystis

This part of our series includes about a third of the large and varied subgenus Carex. The sections included are related both in terms of general anatomy and morphology (including leaf-surface characters), and in DNA sequence data. Most are plants of wet habitats. Generally, the sections appear natural on leaf characters except for Carex where C. hirta and C. lasiocarpa have very different leaves. However, all of the species are distinctive in leaf-surface or leaf-section characters. In section Vesicariae, C. vesicaria and C. saxatilis are hypostomous and have smooth surfaces but differ in leaf section, and C. rostrata differs from both in having the stomata predominantly on the upper, papillose surface. In section Limosae, C. limosa has prominent papillae on both surfaces; in C. magellanica, the upper surface is smoother and the lower surface has shorter papillae; C. rariflora differs from both in having amphistomous leaves. These three species all have distinctive stomata. Section Phacocystis is variabl...

On Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Leaf Biophysical Constituents: Decoupling Vegetation Structure and Leaf Optics Using CHRIS–PROBA Data Over Crops in Barrax

Scattering from a leaf responds differently at different wavelengths to changes in leaf properties such as pigment concentrations, chemical constituents, internal structure, and leaf-surface properties. Radiation scattered by leaves and exiting the vegetation canopy toward the sensor is affected by canopy structure. The concept of canopy spectral invariants is used to decompose multiangular hyperspectral Compact High Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer-PROBA surface reflectances over agricultural crops during peak growth season into structural and optical components. The former, called the directional area scattering factor, is determined by the canopy geometrical properties and varies with crop type. The latter is a function of the leaf scattering properties and more directly related to the leaf interior. For dense crops, the decomposition technique does not require the use of canopy radiation models, prior knowledge, or ancillary information regarding the leaf scattering properties and thus provides a powerful means to remove canopy structural influences in hyperspectral remote sensing of leaf biochemical constituents. Our results also suggest that leaf-surface characteristics can increase canopy scattering spectra. This may decrease the ability to remotely sense leaf biochemistry.

Leaf pubescence as a possibility to increase water use efficiency by promoting condensation

AbstractThere is various evidence that the presence of condensed water, e.g. dew, improves plant water relations. Because particularly plants in drier environments are expected to benefit from atmospheric water, it may be assumed that special adaptations promoting exploitation of dew water evolved in these habitats. Surface characteristics affect dewfall and retention of dew water. Leaf surface characteristics such as hairs (trichomes), which are often present in plants of arid environments, may therefore play a substantial role in dew harvesting. In this study, it is analysed to what extent (1) the presence of hygrophilic aerosoles promotes dewfall by reducing vapour saturation pressure (‘early condensation’), (2) dew water can be stored within a dense trichome layer, (3) the presence of dew water increases humidity directly above the leaf surface, thereby reducing water loss from the leaf interior by decreasing the water potential gradient between leaf interior and exterior, and (4) dew evaporation reduces transpiration further by evaporative cooling. A physical framework is provided in this contribution that shows that these processes are in fact possible under natural conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Towards a model of spray–canopy interactions: Interception, shatter, bounce and retention of droplets on horizontal leaves

Pesticides used in agricultural systems must be applied in economically viable and environmentally sensitive ways, and this often requires expensive field trials on spray deposition and retention by plant foliage. Computational models to describe whether a spray droplet sticks (adheres), bounces or shatters on impact, and if any rebounding parent or shatter daughter droplets are recaptured, would provide an estimate of spray retention and thereby act as a useful guide prior to any field trials.Parameter-driven interactive software has been implemented to enable the end-user to study and visualise droplet interception and impaction on a single, horizontal leaf. Living chenopodium, wheat and cotton leaves have been scanned to capture the surface topography and realistic virtual leaf surface models have been generated. Individual leaf models have then been subjected to virtual spray droplets and predictions made of droplet interception with the virtual plant leaf. Thereafter, the impaction behaviour of the droplets and the subsequent behaviour of any daughter droplets, up until re-capture, are simulated to give the predicted total spray retention by the leaf. A series of critical thresholds for the stick, bounce, and shatter elements in the impaction process have been developed for different combinations of formulation, droplet size and velocity, and leaf surface characteristics to provide this output.The results show that droplet properties, spray formulations and leaf surface characteristics all influence the predicted amount of spray retained on a horizontal leaf surface. Overall the predicted spray retention increases as formulation surface tension, static contact angle, droplet size and velocity decreases. Predicted retention on cotton is much higher than on chenopodium. The average predicted retention on a single horizontal leaf across all droplet size, velocity and formulations scenarios tested, is 18, 30 and 85% for chenopodium, wheat and cotton, respectively.

Scanning electron micrographs of leaves of BritishCarexspecies, 1. Introduction and some common sedges

AbstractScanning electron micrographs are presented of ten species of Carex, illustrating the range of leaf characters displayed by this technique. Leaf-surface characters include the distribution and form of the stomata on the two surfaces, whether they are flush with the leaf-surface or sunk in pits or hidden amongst papillae, and the size, texture and ornamentation of the epidermal cells on the two surfaces of the leaf. Most Carices have their stomata mainly on the underside of the leaf (hypostomous); C. nigra and C. rostrata have most of their stomata on the upperside (epistomous); and C. canescens has stomata on both leaf surfaces (amphistomous). Stomatal distribution can be seen with a hand lens and is a useful field character. The stomata in many species are flush with the smooth leaf surface but, in C. flacca and C. panacea, they are hidden among the closely-set papillae covering the lower leaf surface. In C. rostrata, they are surrounded by papillae on the upper surface in contrast to C. vesicari...

Overexpression of the MhTGA2 gene from crab apple (Malus hupehensis) confers increased tolerance to salt stress in transgenic apple (Malus domestica)

SUMMARYLeaves of Nagafu No. 6 were transformed by the Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated method, and 158 hyg-resistant buds were obtained. Using fresh leaf tissue, seven positive lines were obtained by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with total DNA, and four by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) with total RNA. The results showed that the MhTGA2 gene was successfully transformed into Nagafu No. 6 plants and expressed. At 4 months after transplanting, photosynthetic parameters of young leaves were determined using transgenic and control plants prior to the determination of leaf surface characteristics (epidermal structure and stomatal distribution) by scanning electronic microscopy. The results showed that the net photosynthesis rate, the instantaneous carboxylation rate and stomatal conductance of transgenic plants were higher than the control, whereas the internal carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations of the transgenic plants were lower. Under non-saline conditions, the stomata of the transgenic plants were better distributed than in the control. Under saline conditions, the epidermal structure of the control leaves was severely hypohydrated and the quantity of stomata was significantly decreased. Conversely, the epidermal structure of transgenic leaves was not significantly altered, indicating salt-stress tolerance. The overall results suggested that MhTGA2 may play a crucial role in the response to salt stress in Nagafu No. 6.

High-resolution imaging andin situcutting of leaf epicuticular waxes of the biomass plantMiscanthus sinensis

The leaf surface features of the biomass plant Miscanthus sinensis were investigated by electron and ion beam microscopy. Fully developed leaves were collected from the plant, air-dried and examined by field emission scanning electron microscopy. Stomata and longitudinal stripes were present on both the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces. Longitudinally aggregated rodlets surrounded the stomata and formed hollow cylinders or chimney-like structures. With varying lengths up to ∼10 μm, the rodlets were curved (<1 μm in diameter) and almost occluded the stomata. As another type of epicuticular wax, platelets were observed in the vicinity of the stomata. The platelets were arranged into rather radially assembled clusters. As a novel approach for cross sectioning native epicuticular waxes, focused ion beam milling allowed precise in situ cutting of the stomata and epicuticular waxes. The longitudinally aggregated rodlets of the stomatal chimneys of M. sinensis were derived from the stomatal guard cells. These results suggest that the epicuticular waxes of M. sinensis can be categorized as stomatal chimneys (Strelitzia type) and rosettes (Fabales type). Combined electron and ion beam microscopy can help unravel the ultrastructure and vertical profile of epicuticular waxes in a range of plant taxa.