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Seasonal changes of leaf surface contamination in beech, oak, and ginkgo in relation to leaf micromorphology and wettability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 1998

C. NEINHUIS
Affiliation:
Botanisches Institut und Botanischer Garten der Universität, Meckenheimer Allee 170, 53115 Bonn, Germany
W. BARTHLOTT
Affiliation:
Botanisches Institut und Botanischer Garten der Universität, Meckenheimer Allee 170, 53115 Bonn, Germany
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Abstract

The leaf surfaces of beech, oak and ginkgo have been investigated with respect to contamination with particles during one growing season. Based on the observation that particles are removed from water-repellent leaves by rain (Lotus effect) the three species were selected because they differ in leaf surface micromorphology and wettability. Leaves of beech are smooth, lacked wax crystals and were ±wettable. Those of ginkgo were rough because their cells were convex and were densely covered by wax crystals, resulting in permanent water repellency. Leaves of oak were covered by waxes and were water repellent when young, but, a few weeks after leaf expansion had ceased the waxes were rapidly eroded. These differences in wettability resulted in different amounts of contamination. Ginkgo collected a very small number of particles during the whole vegetation period. In beech the contamination was significantly higher, but fairly constant, whereas oak leaves accumulated particles with age.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Trustees of the New Phytologist 1998

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