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Botanists estimate 30 percent of all plants have hairs on their aerial surfaces. Some of these hairs - they're called trichomes by researchers - can be secretory, others glandular. That's to say they produce, store, and release substances.

Gardeners are familiar with the abundant trichomes on tomato plants, even though the hairs are difficult to see. Pickers' hands smell like tomatoes after a few brushes against these tiny hairs.

There are many purposes for these hairs, including warding off insect attacks, hampering invasion of disease-causing pathogens, and protecting the plant from exces...