Characterization and Distribution of Water-repellent, Self-cleaning Plant Surfaces

Clicks: 1
ID: 290233
1997
Article Quality & Performance Metrics
Overall Quality
Not rated
Combines reader engagement with the AI quality analysis. This article has not been analysed, so there is no overall score — reader engagement is measured and shown alongside.
AI Quality Assessment
Not analyzed
Readership in this journal

Ranked #144 of 195 articles by views in Annals of botany

Most read Least read

Bar heights use a square-root scale. Only the 120 most-read articles are drawn; the journal has 195 in total.

Mint this article as an NFT
Not yet minted

Create a permanent, verifiable on-chain record of this article on the Scimatic Network. The NFT is held in your Journament account, and you can withdraw it to your own wallet at any time.

5 SUSD one-off · no wallet required
Abstract
During the last 20 years, a wealth of data dealing with scanning electron microscopy of plant surfaces has been published. The ultrastructure of epidermal surfaces has been investigated with respect to taxonomic, as well as functional aspects. Within the latter, water-repellency has received much attention and has been well documented. Water-repellency is based on surface roughness caused by different microstructures (trichomes, cuticular folds and wax crystals), together with the hydrophobic properties of the epicuticular wax. In addition, contaminating particles are carried away by water droplets, resulting in a cleaned surface (Lotus-effect). Therefore, rough, waxy leaves are not only water-repellent but anti-adhesive with respect to particulate contamination. Based on 200 water-repellent plant species, the present paper surveys micromorphological characteristics of anti-adhesive plant surfaces. Leaves that are permanently water-repellent can be differentiated by distictively convex to papillose epidermal cells and a very dense layer of epicuticular waxes. Leaves that are water-repellent for only a limited period of time have only slightly convex epidermal cells and often have a less dense wax layer. Finally, an overview is given on the occurrence of water-repellency among different life forms and within different habitats. Water-repellency is concentrated in herbaceous species, while it is rare in trees. Among different habitats, subtropical regions, wetlands and disturbed areas appear to have more species with water-repellent leaves. The importance of roughness and water-repellency, respectively, as the basis of an anti-adhesive, self-cleaning surface, in comparison to other functions of microstructures, is discussed.
Reference Key
openalex_W1983084194 Use this key to autocite in the manuscript while using SciMatic Manuscript Manager or Thesis Manager
Authors Christoph Neinhuis
Journal Annals of botany
Year 1997
DOI
10.1006/anbo.1997.0400
URL
Keywords Keywords not found

Citations

No citations found. To add a citation, contact the admin at info@scimatic.org

No comments yet. Be the first to comment on this article.