Epidermal structure is compared between leaf epidermis with smooth surface and with peristoma! rims in 26 species of flowering plants. A number of characteristic features of epidermis where rims are developed around the stomata are revealed. This epidermal type is characterized by mainly anomocytic and ency-clocytic stomata, lower stomatal index and more rarefied stomata distribution in the same stomatal apparatus type. Differences in correlation structure of characters between two variants of leaf epidermal tissues are noticed. In epidermis with smooth surface the density of stomata distribution depends on the size of main epidermal cells, while in epidermis with rims it is mainly correlated with the stomatal index.