Cuticle micromorphology of leaves of Pinus (Pinaceae) from North America

Cuticle micromorphology of 31 taxa of Pinus from North America was studied with scanning electron microscopy. Twenty‐eight characters, 21 from the inner cuticle and seven from the outer cuticle, were described in detail. These characters have value either for infrageneric classification or for identifying individual taxa. Ten characters were diagnostic for subgenera. Numbers 1−5 relate to the epidermal cells: (1) periclinal wall texture; (2) degree of development; (3) shape of anticlinal walls; (4) shape of apex of anticlinal walls; (5) cuticular continuity. Numbers 6 and 7 relate to the subsidiary cells: (6) lateral texture; (7) groove on the inner surface. Numbers 8−10 relate to the Florin ring: (8) degree of development of the ridge; (9) furrow; (10) groove. Pinus resinosa , belonging to Pinus section Pinus , was clearly distinguished from both the other species and subsection by the tapering and oblique end wall and markedly developed anticlinal walls of the epidermal cells. The cuticular features of P. albicaulis belonging to Parrya subsection Cembrae have a cuticular pattern typical of the species of subgenus Strobus . The subsectional delimitation based on cuticular features did not show a clear resolution even though the taxa might be individually distinct based on the combination of characters examined. © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2004, 144 , 303−320.