This wavy-leafed soap plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianum, shows its hydrophobic leaf surface as water droplets ball-up and roll off. This waxy cuticle layer protects the photosynthetic tissues beneath by helping keep some things in and some things out. This cuticle layer helps reduce water loss, insulate against heat and prevent the build up of algae, moss, etc. from growing and occluding photosynthetic cells.
