Floating fern leaf papilla. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a papilla on the upper surface of a floating fern (Salvinia natans) leaf. T

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Floating fern leaf papilla. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a papilla on the upper surface of a floating fern (Salvinia natans) leaf. The surface is covered in these papillae, which function to trap air next to the leaf. The papillae are hydrophobic (water-repelling), apart from at the tips, where they are hydrophilic (water-attracting). Magnification: x600 when printed at 10 centimetres wide.

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Size: 4499px × 3884px
Photo credit: © EYE OF SCIENCE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: -, air, aquatic, auftrieb, biological, biology, bionik, botanical, botany, coloured, false-coloured, fern, floating, flora, hydrophilic, hydrophob, hydrophobic, layer, leaf, natans, nature, papilla, papillae, plant, salvinia, schwimmfarn, sem, surface, trichomes, upper, wasserfarn