Originally posted by RobG Thanks everyone! The first one captures the lens effect better, for sure. One thing I found curious was that the undersides of the leaves were hydrophobic but the upper leaf surface wasn't.
Rob, I've noticed the same thing myself. I am (or was before I retired) an organic/polymer chemist - material scientist, so I know a lot about what makes something hydrophobic or hydrophilic . . . . but . . . . . . I know nothing about plants. Mother nature has a reason for this behavior, and we need a botanist to explain it to us.
Jer