the epidermis
Dermal tissue covers the outside of a plant in a single layer of cells called the epidermis . You can think of the epidermis as the plants skin. It mediates most of the interactions between a plant and its environment. Epidermal cells secrete a waxy substance called cuticle , which coats, waterproofs, and protects the above-ground parts of plants. Cuticle helps prevent water loss, abrasions, infections, and damage from toxins.