3. Texturing inspired by the plant world

The primary function of plant leaves is chlorophyll photosynthesis. Their leaf blades form a receiving surface, a veritable solar collector, which enables gas exchange and the transport of raw and processed sap. This surface must be free of any dirt that could foul the epidermis and cuticle. To achieve this, several strategies can be observed with different nerves (pinnate, palmatinervate, parallelinervate...) depending on the species. In particular, this facilitates water evacuation, while entraining foreign bodies if possible. Many species also have fine outgrowths (trichomes) (figure 11 ), forming a veritable down or carpet whose function is to protect the plant from drought (water evaporation) and/or prevent stomata obstruction.