A waxy, waterproof layer covering the epidermis of leaves and stems that reduces water loss and provides protection from pathogens. The cuticle is composed mainly of waxy substances called cutins.
From Latin 'cuticula,' diminutive of 'cutis' meaning skin, literally 'little skin.' The botanical use developed in the 19th century as microscopy revealed this distinct protective layer on plant surfaces.
The plant cuticle is so effective at waterproofing that some desert plants can lose less water through their leaves than through a plastic bag! This waxy coating can be so thick on some plants that you can actually peel it off in sheets, like nature's own plastic wrap.
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