Comparative study on epicuticular leaf waxes of Araucaria araucana, Agathis robusta and Wollemia nobilis (Araucariaceae)
Simona Dragota A and Markus Riederer A BA Universität Würzburg, Julius-von-Sachs-Institut für Biowissenschaften, 97082 Würzburg, Germany.
B Corresponding author. Email: riederer@uni-wuerzburg.de
Australian Journal of Botany 56(8) 644-650 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT08047
Submitted: 18 March 2008 Accepted: 6 November 2008 Published: 15 December 2008
Abstract
The present study describes fine structure and chemical composition of the epicuticular leaf waxes of three Araucariaceae species. The leaf surfaces of samples from greenhouse-grown juvenile trees of Araucaria araucana K.Koch and Agathis robusta F.Muell. were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and compared with data for a young greenhouse-grown Wollemia nobilis W.G.Jones, K.D.Hill & J.M.Allen cutting characterised earlier. The chemical compositions of the epicuticular waxes selectively removed from the adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces of A. araucana, A. robusta and W. nobilis were studied by gas chromatography combined with mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). The main components of the leaf cuticular waxes of A. araucana, A. robusta and W. nobilis are members of the following three major compound classes: n-alkanes, secondary alcohols and alkane diols. It was shown earlier that the latter two classes contribute to the formation of the tubular epicuticular-wax crystals on the leaf surfaces. The present comparative study also revealed differences in the crystalline microstructure and chemical composition of the epicuticular leaf waxes among the three species.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support by the Botanical Garden of the University of Würzburg (for providing samples of Araucaria araucana, Agathis robusta and Wollemia nobilis) and by J. Foundling, Bracknell (for providing the scanning electron micrographs). Thanks also go to O. Frank for skilful technical assistance. This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Sonderforschungsbereich 567).
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