Cuticle refers to the waxy coating which protects the land plants from desiccation.
Answer: Option 2
Step-by-step explanation:
When the plants are present on the land, during drought-like conditions, they become victims of desiccation. To overcome this adverse condition, plants surviving on land have a special protective waxy covering called cuticle.
The cuticle covers all the parts of the plants such as leaves, stem, young shoots, etc and acts as a protective coat. It prevents the transpiration process in the land plant through which water from the plant evaporates and prevents them from desiccation.