Epidermis effects on spectral properties of leaves of four herbaceous species

The spectral properties of the leaves of the herbaceous species Brassica oleracea L. var. botrytis L., Cerastum tomentosum L., Petunia hybrida Vilm., and Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn. were examined to see what effect the epidermis had on leaf absorptance, reflectance and transmittance. Removal of the epidermis from the side of the leaf surface being illuminated resulted in increases in leaf absorptance and transmittance, and a decrease in reflectance in the 400–800 nm waveband. Removal of the epidermis from the opposite side of an illuminated leaf (effect was similar in both abaxial and adaxial surfaces) resulted in small decreases in both absorptance and reflectance, and corresponding increases in transmittance. Removal of both the upper and lower epidermis resulted in a marked increase in transmittance, while both leaf reflectance and absorptance were decreased. The results suggest that the presence of the epidermis significantly increases leaf absorptance in the photosynthetic wavebands.