Nerium indicum Leaf Cross Section Under the Microscope
Nerium indicum Leaf (Transverse Section), Nerium oleander
This is a cross section of an oleander leaf stained with safranin and fast green. Oleander grows in dry places, and its leaf shows several adaptations for saving water.
This transverse section of an oleander (Nerium oleander, also called Nerium indicum) leaf is stained with Safranin and Fast Green. Oleander grows in dry places, and its leaf shows how a plant saves water. The upper surface has a waxy cuticle over several layers of epidermis, and below that sit rows of tall, tightly packed palisade cells that do most of the photosynthesis. The lower surface is dotted with sunken pits called stomatal crypts, which hold the stomata away from dry air. In the thick midrib, the xylem stains red in a curved band, with phloem around it.
What to look for
- Thick cuticle: A heavy waxy coating on the upper surface.
- Multiple epidermis: Several layers of epidermal cells on top instead of just one.
- Palisade mesophyll: Rows of tall, tightly packed cells under the upper epidermis.
- Stomatal crypts: Deep pits in the lower surface, lined with hairs, with stomata tucked inside.
- Midrib: A large central vein with red-stained xylem and green-stained phloem.
Questions and answers
How is an oleander leaf adapted to dry conditions?
Oleander leaves have a thick waxy cuticle, several layers of epidermis, and stomata hidden in hairy pits on the underside. The pits trap moist air around the stomata, so less water escapes.
What are stomatal crypts?
Stomatal crypts are sunken pits in the lower leaf surface that contain stomata and are lined with hairs. They are a classic feature of plants that live in dry places.
Compare it
- Category
- Botany & Plants
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Safranin / Fast Green
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