Plant flower stems covered with three-dimensional (3D) wax prevent access of ants that rob flower nectar and do not contribute to the plant cross pollination. This phenomenon, called greasy pole syndrome, is caused by the ant’s failure to gain a foothold on slippery waxy stems due to dislodged wax particles. The aim of this study was to analyze frictional properties of 3D wax projections specific to flower stems in Hippeastrum reginae by means of a microtribometer. Using the cryo scanning electron microscopy approach, we obtained images of shock-frozen plant surfaces with intact and smeared wax layers. Compared to wax-free stem samples, intact waxy stems showed significantly reduced frictional coefficient. The obtained results allowed us to provide some plausible explanations about the mechanism of the slipperiness of the 3D wax coverage on plant surfaces involved in the greasy pole syndrome. It is most probably based on easy delamination of the layered structure of single wax projections and on finally building of smearing surfaces with presumably lower intrinsic friction between individual layers. This knowledge can potentially contribute to the development of future physical control barriers based on dry lubricants with application in pest control.

中文翻译：

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植物 Hippeastrum reginae (石蒜科) 中花茎的摩擦特性

用三维 (3D) 蜡覆盖的植物花茎可防止蚂蚁进入，这些蚂蚁会抢夺花蜜，并且不会促进植物异花授粉。这种现象被称为“油腻杆综合症”，是由于蚂蚁由于蜡颗粒脱落而未能在光滑的蜡质茎上立足所引起的。本研究的目的是通过微摩擦计分析特定于 Hippeastrum reginae 花茎的 3D 蜡投影的摩擦特性。使用低温扫描电子显微镜方法，我们获得了具有完整和涂抹蜡层的冲击冷冻植物表面的图像。与无蜡茎样品相比，完整的蜡茎表现出显着降低的摩擦系数。获得的结果使我们能够对涉及油杆综合征的植物表面 3D 蜡覆盖的光滑机制提供一些合理的解释。这很可能是基于单蜡突起的分层结构的容易分层，以及最终构建的涂抹表面，推测各层之间的固有摩擦较低。这些知识可能有助于开发基于干润滑剂的未来物理控制屏障，并应用于害虫控制。