Ever seen tiny water drops sitting right on the tips of grass blades in the morning? They may not be dew. The plant pushed them out through special water spots!
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Many leaves have little water spots called hydathodes. You find them at the tip of a leaf or on the little points along its edge.
Inside each hydathode, right where a vein ends, is a small clump of epithem cells. They are small, thin-walled cells with lots of tiny spaces between them. On top is a water pore, a bit like a stoma that stays open.
At night, a plant's leaves give off less water into the air. But the roots can keep pushing water up. That extra water travels up the veins to the hydathodes.
This is called guttation. Scientists think the epithem cells may also pull back some useful minerals before the water leaves.
Early on a cool morning, look closely at lawn grass or strawberry leaves. A neat drop sitting right at the tip or on each leaf point is probably guttation. (Look, but don't drink it!)
Guttation drops can have minerals and sugars in them. When a drop dries, it can leave a tiny white crust on the leaf tip.