Rainfall Removes Epicuticular Waxes from Isocoma Leaves

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Abstract
Amounts of epicuticular waxes on leaves of common goldenweed (Isocoma coronopifolia) and Drummond''s goldenweed (I. drummondii) were determined gravimetrically before and after natural rainfall in a nrusery and simulated rainfall in the glasshouse. In the nursery, fall rains of 3.3-4.1 cm after a summer with little rainfall removed almost half of the epicuticular wax. Wax losses in the nursery during a summer of frequent rainfall varied but were usually comparable to losses by potted plants in simulated rain. Simulated rain of 5 cm removal ca. 15% of the wax from common goldenweed leaves and up to 36% of the wax from Drummond''s goldenweed leaves. Simulated rain of 10 cm removed up to 29% of the wax from common goldenweed leaves, but little additional wax was lost in 20 cm of simulated rain. Application of 20 cm of simulated rain removed up to half of the wax from Drummond''s goldenweed leaves.