Comparative Study of Leaf Surface Texture and Ability to Expand of Cured Tobacco

Tobacco leaf texture, appreciated by the difference of surface roughness of cured leaves, is studies with light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The leaf texture is obviously determined by the presence or absence of conical cellular protuberances on the adaxial side of the leaf. Considering the anatomic point of view, the leaf thickness, always more important when the leaf texture is open, is the only objective criterion which could be associated to the texture. The ultra-structural study with SEM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrates that the expansion capacity of tobacco doesn't rely on cytological factors such as cellular reserves or debris. The expansion capacity could be inversely proportional with the relative importance of the mesophyll comparing to palisade parenchyma. On the studied material, no direct relation between the leaf texture and the expansion capacity has been noticed.