Publisher Summary The polymers are embedded in or associated with a complex mixture of relatively nonpolar lipids that are collectively called wax because of the similarity of their physical properties to those of the honeycomb material. In most plants, wax can be found on the surface and the crystalline structure of this wax is a rather unique characteristic of each species. The most widespread site of occurrence of wax is the cuticle, and the abundance of production of cuticular waxes by some aerial parts of plants allows easy removal of the most familiar and widely utilized plant waxes such as carnauba wax. Internal organs usually contain little wax, except in rare plants such as jojoba in which large amounts of wax esters are stored as the major energy reserve. This chapter presents a methodology that is useful for examining waxes and polymerized lipids. It discusses the types of compounds found in plant waxes and in lipid-derived polymers and explains their biosynthesis, degradation, and possible functions.

Cutin, suberin, and waxes

The biochemistry of plant cuticular lipids.

Constituents of Chondria armata.

Cuticular waxes coat all primary aboveground plant organs as a crucial adaptation to life on land Accordingly, the properties of waxes have been studied in much detail, albeit with a strong focus on leaf and fruit waxes Flowers have life histories and functions largely different from those of other organs, and it remains to be seen whether flower waxes have compositions and physiological properties differing from those on other organs This work provides a detailed characterization of the petal waxes, using Cosmos bipinnatus as a model, and compares them with leaf and stem waxes The abaxial petal surface is relatively flat, whereas the adaxial side consists of conical epidermis cells, rendering it approximately 38 times larger than the projected petal area The petal wax was found to contain unusually high concentrations of C22 and C24 fatty acids and primary alcohols, much shorter than those in leaf and stem waxes Detailed analyses revealed distinct differences between waxes on the adaxial and abaxial petal sides and between epicuticular and intracuticular waxes Transpiration resistances equaled 3 × 104 and 15 × 104 s m−1 for the adaxial and abaxial surfaces, respectively Petal surfaces of C bipinnatus thus impose relatively weak water transport barriers compared with typical leaf cuticles Approximately two-thirds of the abaxial surface water barrier was found to reside in the epicuticular wax layer of the petal and only one-third in the intracuticular wax Altogether, the flower waxes of this species had properties greatly differing from those on vegetative organs

S. Popow

Papers

Composition, structure and biogenesis of the ketones in rose flower wax

The composition and structure of ketones from rose bud and rose flower waxes