Morphology of epicuticular wax on primary needles of Pinus radiata seedlings*

A light, transmission and scanning electron microscope study of the adaxial surface of primary needles of 10‐week‐old Pinus radiata D. Don revealed rows of wax tufts across the cuticular ridges. The tufts consist of aggregations of tubiforms of wax, and cover clusters of pores from which they appear to have been exuded. The density of wax tufts increased near the stomatal pores, where the morphology of the wax changed from tubiform to amorphous as the primary needle matured.