Pittosporum tobira Leaf Under the Microscope
Pittosporum tobira Leaf (Cross Section), Pittosporum tobira
This is a cross section of a Japanese cheesewood (Pittosporum) leaf stained with safranin and fast green. It is a thick, leathery evergreen leaf with features that reduce water loss.
This is a cross section of a Japanese cheesewood leaf (Pittosporum tobira), stained with safranin and fast green. This evergreen shrub has thick, leathery leaves, with a waxy cuticle on top that helps the leaf hold on to water. Under the epidermis, tall palisade cells packed with chloroplasts sit in several rows to catch light. Below them, the spongy mesophyll has loose cells and air spaces for gas exchange. Veins cut in cross section show red-stained xylem, which carries water, and phloem, which carries sugar.
What to look for
- Thick cuticle: A heavy waxy layer over the upper epidermis.
- Upper epidermis: The outer layer of cells on top of the leaf.
- Palisade mesophyll: More than one row of tall, tightly packed cells under the upper surface.
- Spongy mesophyll: Loosely arranged cells with air spaces toward the lower surface.
- Secretory canals: Small round canals lined with cells, near the veins.
- Midrib: The central vein, with red-stained xylem facing up and phloem below it.
Questions and answers
Why do some evergreen leaves have more than one palisade layer?
Leaves that grow in bright sun or stay on the plant all year are often thicker, with several rows of palisade cells. More palisade cells means more chloroplasts to capture light.
What makes a leaf leathery?
Leathery leaves have a thick waxy cuticle, sturdy epidermis, and thick layers of tissue inside. These features help them resist damage and hold on to water.
- Category
- Botany & Plants
- Scan magnification
- 20x
- Stain
- Safranin / Fast Green
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