Abstract: [Objective] The microstructure morphology and hydrophobic properties of thirteen kinds of plant leaves with hydrophobic property were studied and analyzed to improve the principle of super hydrophobic of plant surfaces.[Method] Thirteen kinds of plant leaves were selected, whose surface microstructure and static contact angle before and after the removal of wax were observed by SEM and DSA100. And the static contact angle for adaxial and abaxial surface or old and new leaf of the same plant were measured.[Result] The experimental results showed that the surface microstructure of these plant leaves mainly presented single stage (spherical cap convex hull, cylinder convex hull, stripe structure), double stage (and micro-nano double convex), and multistage (reticular hollow). The impacts of surface wax and microstructure on the hydrophobic property were different among plants. In addition, the contact angle of abaxial surface was larger than the one of adaxial surface for the same plant leaf. And there was very big difference in the hydrophobic property between old and new leaves of the same plant.[Conclusion] According to the extent of influence of surface wax and microstructure on the hydrophobic property, these plant leaves were divided into three types, including class A:the hydrophobic property is mainly affected by the microstructure; class B:The hydrophobic property is mainly affected by the wax; class C:the hydrophobic is affected by the microstructure and wax together.

Key words: Plant leaf, hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity, microstructure, wax