Selection and Preparation of Leaf Epidermis for Experiments on Stomatal Physiology

A simple method for reproducibly peeling leaf epidermis tissueis described. Epidermis was obtained from eight species usingthe method, and its properties of value in research on stomatalphysiology evaluated. Effects of the method of peeling on cellviability and mesophyll contamination were quantified, and acomparison was made between the effects of peeling and subsequenttreatments on a plant with morphologically distinct subsidiarycells, Commelina communis, and one without, Vicia faba. Theresults indicate that artefacts in experiments on stomatal physiologyinvolving leaf epidermis could arise not only from the peelingmethod, but also the plant species chosen.