Department of Botany, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati-517502
The quantity and composition of epicuticular waxes from leaves of seventeen woody weeds of the local semiarid scrub land (13°40’ latitude Nand 79°20’ longitude E) were determined. Alcohols, mixture of hydrocarbons, esters and ketones, fatty acids, hydroxy β-diketones, and aldehydes were present in decreasing order in the epicuticular wax of the species studied. High rates of cuticular transpiration were associated with the higher fatty acid levels. Higher concentrations of aldehydes and alcohols were correlated with lower rates of cuticular transpiration. Paraquat (1, 1’-dimethyl-4, 4’ bipyridinium ion) at 100 ppmw and amitrole (3-amino-s-triazole) at 5000 ppmw decreased the wax content of Flacourtia indica Merr. and Ixora arborea Roxb., and increased it in Diospyros chloroxylon Roxb. Both herbicides caused a progressive decrease in cuticle content in the three species studied. The wax content and cuticular transpiration were inversely correlated in herbicide-treated species.
