Lotus leaf
![Lotus leaves and flower with water drops](https://naturesraincoats.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lotus_flower222-1024x681.jpg)
The Lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera) is revered by Buddhists for its purity, at least in part because it stays clean even though it lives in muddy water. The plant uses a superhydrophobic surface to ensure that droplets of water roll off its leaves and carry with them particles from the dirty water. The waxy, bumpy surface can be seen using a scanning electron microscope. This enables the leaves to float and to photosynthesise.
![Lotus leaf with water droplet at centre](https://naturesraincoats.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/lotus_leaf.jpg)
![SEM image of lotus leaf](https://naturesraincoats.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/SEM_lotus_leaf-300x244.jpg)
The Lotus is one of the more spectacular plants and superhydrophobicity with self-cleaning is also called the Lotus-Effect® (trademark). More details of the role of nano-hairs in self-cleaning can be found here.
Publication
The purity of sacred lotus or escape from contamination in biological surfaces W. Barthlott and C. Neinhuis, Planta 202 (1997) 1–8.