STRUCTURE OF LEAF WAXES IN THE DATE-PALM, PHOENIX-DACTYLIFERA L

A scanning electron microscopic study of epicuticular waxes of leaves of the date-palm, Phoenix dactylifera L., reveals that these structure s are absent in the youngest plantlets and begin to be extruded when p lants are in three or four-leaf stages. In adults, two morphological p atterns of waxes have been described : the first one consists of ''fil aments'' in sixteen cultivars; the second one, consisting of ''tubes'' , is present on the upper lace of leaflets in three cultivars.