Abstract
Schieferstein, R. H., and W. E. Loomis. (Iowa State U., Ames.) Development of the cuticular layer in angiosperm leaves. Amer. Jour. Bot. 46(9): 625–635. Illus. 1959.—The cuticularized layers of leaves and other plant surfaces consist of a primary cuticle, formed by the oxidation of oils on exposed cell walls, plus various surface and subsurface wax deposits. The primary cuticle appears to form rapidly on the walls of any living cell which is exposed to air. Surface wax is present on the mature leaves of about half of the 50 or 60 species studied. In general, wax is extruded at random through the newly formed cuticle of young leaves and accumulated in various reticulate to semicrystalline patterns. No wax pores through the cuticle or primary wall can be observed in electron-micrographs of dewaxed mature leaves. Wax accumulations on older leaves are generally subcuticular and may involve the entire epidermal wall. These deposits appear to be of considerably greater ecological significance than those on the surface. Isolated cuticular membranes from Hedera helix increased slightly in permeability to water with age of the leaf, but permeability to 2,4-D decreased 50 times. Evidence based on the patterns of cellulose in primary walls, of surface wax on growing leaves, of the appearance of the cuticle at the margins of growing epidermal cells, of the forms of the cuticle plates digested from growing and older leaves, and of the marginal location of new wax deposits on growing maize leaves is presented to support the thesis that the enlargement of the outer surface of the epidermal cells of leaves occurs at the margins of the surface. Earlier formed cuticle and wax are thus undisturbed during growth. These observations, coupled with evidence for apical growth in fibers, root hairs, etc. suggest that the primary walls of angiosperm cells are formed in specific, localized growth regions, rather than by plastic extension and apposition.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Angiosperm leaf cuticular layers comprise primary cuticle and wax deposits.
Verbatim
e0“The cuticularized layers of leaves and other plant surfaces consist of a primary cuticle, formed by the oxidation of oils on exposed cell walls, plus various surface and subsurface wax deposits.”
t0“Angiosperm Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Primary cuticle appears to form rapidly on living cell walls exposed to air.
Verbatim
e0“The primary cuticle appears to form rapidly on the walls of any living cell which is exposed to air.”
t0“Angiosperm Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Surface wax was present on mature leaves of about half the species studied.
Verbatim
e0“Surface wax is present on the mature leaves of about half of the 50 or 60 species studied.”
t0“Angiosperm Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Wax was extruded through young leaf cuticle and accumulated in patterned deposits.
Verbatim
e0“In general, wax is extruded at random through the newly formed cuticle of young leaves and accumulated in various reticulate to semicrystalline patterns.”
t0“Angiosperm Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
No wax pores were observed through cuticle or primary wall of mature leaves.
Verbatim
e0“No wax pores through the cuticle or primary wall can be observed in electron-micrographs of dewaxed mature leaves.”
t0“Angiosperm Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Wax accumulations on older leaves were generally subcuticular.
Verbatim
e0“Wax accumulations on older leaves are generally subcuticular and may involve the entire epidermal wall.”
t0“Angiosperm Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Hedera helix cuticular membrane permeability to water increased slightly with leaf age.
- Taxon
- Hedera helix
Hedera helixe0 - Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Compound
- watere0
- Outcome
- permeability to watere0
- Direction
- increased slightlye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Isolated cuticular membranes from Hedera helix increased slightly in permeability to water with age of the leaf, but permeability to 2,4-D decreased 50 times.”
Claim · model-written summary
Hedera helix cuticular membrane permeability to 2,4-D decreased 50 times with leaf age.
- Taxon
- Hedera helix
Hedera helixe0 - Organ / stage
- leafe0
- Outcome
- permeability to 2,4-De0
- Direction
- decreasede0
- Value
- 50 timese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“Isolated cuticular membranes from Hedera helix increased slightly in permeability to water with age of the leaf, but permeability to 2,4-D decreased 50 times.”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf epidermal outer surfaces appear to enlarge at their margins.
Verbatim
e0“Evidence based on the patterns of cellulose in primary walls, of surface wax on growing leaves, of the appearance of the cuticle at the margins of growing epidermal cells, of the forms of the cuticle plates digested from growing and older leaves, and of the marginal location of new wax deposits on growing maize leaves is presented to support the thesis that the enlargement of the outer surface of the epidermal cells of leaves occurs at the margins of the surface.”
t0“Angiosperm Leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Angiosperm primary walls may form in localized growth regions.
Verbatim
e0“These observations, coupled with evidence for apical growth in fibers, root hairs, etc. suggest that the primary walls of angiosperm cells are formed in specific, localized growth regions, rather than by plastic extension and apposition.”