Coprosma repens, or simply known as Coprosma has a bit of an urban legend about it. Some people say that the holes that you can see along the axils of the veins on the underside of the leaves are visible stomata. Now stomata are cells on the surface of the plant leaf that open and close to allow the flow of gasses in and out of the leaf. Essentially it is like a mouth, plant breaths in Carbon Dioxide and breathes out Oxygen and Water Vapor. When a plant gets dehydrated and begins to wilt, these stomata close up to help prevent any further water loss. So there are 2 main reasons why saying that the visible holes on a Coprosma leaf are stomata is false; first of all, Stomata are microscopic and cant be seen with the naked eye. Second of all, I have never seen these holes close even when the plant has wilted, which is one of the primary functions of stomata. In truth these holes are just holes. They benefit the plant, but they dont open and close to allow gasses to pass through the leaf. The holes exist as a place for the plant to grow nitrogen fixing bacteria, which increases the plants food supply as Nitrogen is a very vital part in plant health and growth. So go forth people and spread the word. Lets dispel this pesky urban legend.
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