Wavelengths of visible light are around ~500 nm. Even infrared is on the order of micrometers. I don’t think the spikes that we’re imagining are micrometers apart.
Looks like photon density is a thing. I was under the impression that I read somewhere that spikes can intercept (harsh desert) light and make it less harmful to the plant
There are lots of cacti that are mostly hairy/fuzzy instead of pointy.
In terms of air flow protection purchased vs biological effort expended, I’m not sure a leaf is better than a spike.
The fur/spike can also be at specific widths to block certain wavelengths of light
Wavelengths of visible light are around ~500 nm. Even infrared is on the order of micrometers. I don’t think the spikes that we’re imagining are micrometers apart.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18507791
Looks like photon density is a thing. I was under the impression that I read somewhere that spikes can intercept (harsh desert) light and make it less harmful to the plant
No, they can be micrometers wide and long enough to cause disruption of waves