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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

Rubber ‘leaves’ reveal the physics of the floating lotus

Scientists explore why some lotus leaves lie smooth and flat, but others are deeply ruffled.
Water effect on morphogenesis of lotus leaves.

Don’t just lie there: lotus leaves atop long stems curve and ripple without the vertical support of the water’s surface. Credit: Fan Xu

Floating lotus leaves retain their flat, circular shape thanks to the water that supports them.

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Nature 578, 10 (2020)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-00189-z

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