The Surface Structure of Leaves of Chenopodium album L.

Photomicrographs were used to study the surface structure of leaves of Chenopodium album L. (fat hen). The leaves have a silvery bloom which is a layer of small, separate spheres of average diameter 80 μ, transparent when turgid. Each globule is attached to the leaf by a capillary stalk and movement studies with eosin showed that they are linked by a continuous aqueous pathway. As leaves mature, the globules are less densely distributed; they collapse and are then readily detached from the surface. They contain inorganic material, silicates being a major constituent. They are stable to heat, cooling in liquid nitrogen or brief treatment with chloroform or surfactants. Probably, the globules are not entirely bounded by wax, and silicates may form a large part of the outer walls.