Myrmecophyte
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Title
Myrmecophyte
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Definition
Referring to a plant with a symbiotic relationship with ants; in the Orchidaceae, this normally refers to a plant which has a specific species of ant inhabiting the roots or other structure such as the pseudobulb, e.g. in
, the pseudobulb is hollow and inhabitated by ants; in (Melastomataceae), the bases of the leaves have domatia which are inhabited by ants. - *For more educational content, please visit The Hand Lens and explore our herbarium collections and the stories they tell.