Fig. 1.

Cuticle maturation along the developmental gradient of a partially expanded, adult maize leaf. (A) Intact adult maize leaves (B73, leaf 8 at 50–60 cm length) stained with TBO for 1 or 2 h. Vertical lines indicate segments harvested for subsequent analysis of cuticle composition and ultrastructure. (B) Quantification of TBO penetration of the cuticle. Results at each position are expressed as absorbance readings at 630 nm normalized to surface area. (C) Cuticular evaporation rate, a measure of dehydration resistance, was measured for successive 2-cm segments. (D) Pavement cell surface areas. In (B–D), n = 3 leaves per time point, mean ± s.e.