ABSTRACT
Leaves have a waxy coating. Environmental conditions may strongly affect the amount, composition, and morphology of the waxy coverings of leaf surfaces. Wax and cutin function as main constituents of the leaf cuticle covering the leaf epidermal cells. Epicuticular wax improves the visible and near-infrared radiation, reflectance from leaf surface thus decreasing net radiation and cuticular transpiration and appears to contribute in higher plants to drought tolerance.
