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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2018, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (1): 97-105.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2017119

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Leaf cuticular waxes in Poa pratensis and their responses to altitudes

YAO Lu-hua, NI Yu, GUO Na, HE Yu-ji, GAO Jian-hua, GUO Yan-jun*   

  1. College of Agronomy and Bio-technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
  • Received:2017-03-16 Revised:2017-05-05 Online:2018-01-20 Published:2018-01-20

Abstract: Cuticular waxes are hydrophobic chemical compounds coating plant surfaces. They play key roles in protecting plants from various environmental stresses. Poa pratensis is well adapted to a wide range of mesic to moist habitats, in temperate to alpine conditions. However, little is known about its natural leaf wax profile or how the leaf wax profile changes in responses to change in the environment. In the current study, leaves of P. pratensis populations were sampled from different sites at altitudes ranging from 2600 m to 4200 m on two mountains. We analyzed the wax composition and calculated the chain length distribution of alkanes in cuticular wax and alkanes in the soil. The wax coverage from populations growing at 4200 m was higher than at lower altitudes. The most common components of cuticular waxes on leaves were primary alcohols, followed by alkanes and alkyl esters, with minor amounts of fatty acids and triterpenols. No linear relationship could be observed between altitude and the total wax coverage, nor between altitude and the amount of particular wax components. For plants growing at lower altitude, the overall abundance of primary alcohols in wax was reduced, while the abundance of alkanes increased. Our results suggest that higher altitude induces increased total wax coverage and changes the wax component composition. It is presumed these changes benefit P. pratensis by assisting adaptation to alpine environments.