The exudation of water droplets from the tips or edges of plant leaves through specialized structures called hydathodes. This occurs when root pressure forces water out of the plant, typically visible as morning dewdrops on grass and other plants.
From Latin 'gutta' meaning 'drop.' The term was coined in 1887 by German botanist Wilhelm Pfeffer to describe this specific process of water droplet formation, distinguishing it from regular dew formation on leaf surfaces.
Those perfect water droplets you see on grass tips in the morning aren't dew - they're plant tears! Guttation happens when plants absorb water faster than they can transpire it, so they literally cry out the excess through special pores.
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