Species in this genus are either epiphytic or lithophytic in their growth habit. Their slightly scented flowers are produced on pole-like growths that extend upwards from 1 to 4 meters high and take up to 4 months to develop. Several of the Schomburgkia species were transferred into the genus Myrmecophila by Robert Allen Rolfe in 1917.[1][2]
The name Myrmecophila is a derivative of the word myrmecophile and refers to the symbiotic relationship with colonies of ants that are usually found living in the large, hollowed-out, banana-like pseudobulbs. An opening in the base of each pseudobulb serves as an entrance for the ants which harvest nectar from the peduncles and flowers and forage on other plants in the community. The ants associated with Myrmecophila tibicinis pack many of the pseudobulbs with debris that includes other dead ants, a variety of insects, pieces of plant material, seeds and sand. Myrmecophila tibicinis directly utilizes minerals of the organic debris ("garbage dumps") deposited by the ants inside the hollow pseudobulbs. Since the open-canopied trees of the tropics can often be nutrient poor habitats, a small input of nutrients from insects can have a significant effect on plant survival and growth rates. Myrmecophila tibicinis can grow quite well in the absence of ants, though it is quite rare to find an uninhabited plant. The species of ant responsible for forming colonies in Myrmecophila tibicinis are as follows: Brachymyrmex, Camponotus planatus, Camponotus abdominalis, Camponotus rectangularis, and Crematogaster brevispinosa, Monomorium ebenium, Paratrechina longicornis, Zacryptocerus maculatus, and Ectatomma tuberculatum.
^ abGovaerts, R.; et al. (2018). "Plants of the world online: Myrmecophila". Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
myrmecophila, confused, with, myrmecophily, myrmecophilus, genus, plants, belonging, family, orchidaceae, native, southern, mexico, central, america, west, indies, venezuela, brysiana, scientific, classification, kingdom, plantae, clade, tracheophytes, clade, . Not to be confused with Myrmecophily or Myrmecophilus Myrmecophila is a genus of plants belonging to the family Orchidaceae It is native to southern Mexico Central America the West Indies and Venezuela 3 Myrmecophila Myrmecophila brysiana Scientific classification Kingdom Plantae Clade Tracheophytes Clade Angiosperms Clade Monocots Order Asparagales Family Orchidaceae Subfamily Epidendroideae Tribe Epidendreae Subtribe Laeliinae Genus MyrmecophilaRolfe 1917 1 2 Type species Myrmecophila tibicinisBatem 1841 Species in this genus are either epiphytic or lithophytic in their growth habit Their slightly scented flowers are produced on pole like growths that extend upwards from 1 to 4 meters high and take up to 4 months to develop Several of the Schomburgkia species were transferred into the genus Myrmecophila by Robert Allen Rolfe in 1917 1 2 The name Myrmecophila is a derivative of the word myrmecophile and refers to the symbiotic relationship with colonies of ants that are usually found living in the large hollowed out banana like pseudobulbs An opening in the base of each pseudobulb serves as an entrance for the ants which harvest nectar from the peduncles and flowers and forage on other plants in the community The ants associated with Myrmecophila tibicinis pack many of the pseudobulbs with debris that includes other dead ants a variety of insects pieces of plant material seeds and sand Myrmecophila tibicinis directly utilizes minerals of the organic debris garbage dumps deposited by the ants inside the hollow pseudobulbs Since the open canopied trees of the tropics can often be nutrient poor habitats a small input of nutrients from insects can have a significant effect on plant survival and growth rates Myrmecophila tibicinis can grow quite well in the absence of ants though it is quite rare to find an uninhabited plant The species of ant responsible for forming colonies in Myrmecophila tibicinis are as follows Brachymyrmex Camponotus planatus Camponotus abdominalis Camponotus rectangularis and Crematogaster brevispinosa Monomorium ebenium Paratrechina longicornis Zacryptocerus maculatus and Ectatomma tuberculatum Contents 1 Species 2 Natural hybrids 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksSpecies editSpecies accepted as of June 2022 3 Image Name Distribution Elevation m nbsp Myrmecophila brysiana Lem G C Kenn Yucatan Belize Guatemala Honduras Costa Rica 0 200 metres 0 656 ft nbsp Myrmecophila christinae Carnevali amp Gomez Juarez Yucatan Belize Myrmecophila exaltata Kraenzl G C Kenn Chiapas Guatemala Myrmecophila galeottiana A Rich Rolfe Chiapas 25 550 metres 82 1 804 ft nbsp Myrmecophila grandiflora Lindl Carnevali amp J L Tapia amp I Ramirez Southern Mexico Myrmecophila humboldtii Rchb f Rolfe Central America Venezuela Netherlands Antilles nbsp Myrmecophila thomsoniana Rchb f Rolfe Cayman Islands nbsp Myrmecophila tibicinis Rchb f Rolfe Mexico Central America Venezuela 300 600 metres 980 1 970 ft Myrmecophila wendlandii Rchb f G C Kenn Belize Guatemala Honduras 360 1 100 metres 1 180 3 610 ft Natural hybrids editImage Name Parentage Distribution Elevation m M laguna guerrerae Carnevali L Ibarra amp J L Tapia Myrmecophila brysiana Myrmecophila christinae Quintana Roo M parkinsoniana H G Jones J M H Shaw Myrmecophila humboldtii Myrmecophila thomsoniana Barbados M rechingeriana H G Jones J M H Shaw Myrmecophila brysiana Myrmecophila tibicinis Barbados TrinidadSee also editSchomburgkia a very close genusReferences edit a b Govaerts R et al 2018 Plants of the world online Myrmecophila Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Retrieved 12 June 2022 a b Rolfe R A 1917 Orchid Review 25 50 a b Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families Botanical Society of America Orchid Species Culture The World Checklist of MonocotyledonsExternal links edit nbsp Media related to Myrmecophila at Wikimedia Commons nbsp Data related to Myrmecophila at Wikispecies The Orchid Photo Page Belize Botanic Gardens Archived 2010 12 25 at the Wayback Machine Orquideas Mexican Jardin L Encyclopedie Royal Horticultural Society Registration of Orchids Ant Plants Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Myrmecophila amp oldid 1223151107, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
