Scutiform trichomes (Elaeagnus pungens) Science Image

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Elaeagnus leaf. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of leaf hairs on the surface of a leaf of an Elaeagnus pungens plant. Outgrowths from the surface of a plant are called scutiform trichomes (shaped like a shield). The hairs reduce evaporative water loss from the stomata below them. Stomata are plant pores through which gases are exchanged between the air and the plant. E. pungens is a drought-resistant shrub. Magnification: x78 at 6x7cm size.