''Duroia hirsuta'' is a
myrmecophyte
Myrmecophytes (; literally "ant-plant") are plants that live in a mutualistic association with a colony of ants. There are over 100 different genera of myrmecophytes. These plants possess structural adaptations that provide ants with food and ...
tree species from the
Amazon Forest. It is one of some 37 species of ''
Duroia
''Duroia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus is found from Costa Rica to tropical South America.
Ecology
A number of ''Duroia'' species, and possibly all, are capable of biochemical interactions inhibiting the ...
,'' which are shrubs or canopy trees in the family
Rubiaceae
The Rubiaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the coffee, madder, or bedstraw family. It consists of terrestrial trees, shrubs, lianas, or herbs that are recognizable by simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules a ...
, favouring ants (
myrmecophilous
Myrmecophily ( , ) is the term applied to positive interspecies associations between ants and a variety of other organisms, such as plants, other arthropods, and fungi. Myrmecophily refers to mutualistic associations with ants, though in its ...
), and occurring in
Central America
Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...
as far north as
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, the
Amazon Basin, the
Guiana Shield, the Brazilian Atlantic coast and
planalto.
A number of ''Duroia'' species, and possibly all, are capable of biochemical interactions inhibiting the growth of neighbouring plants. Analysis of root extracts from ''Duroia hirsuta'' have yielded a strong plant growth inhibitor plumericin, a
tetracyclic iridoid lactone
Lactones are cyclic carboxylic esters, containing a 1-oxacycloalkan-2-one structure (), or analogues having unsaturation or heteroatoms replacing one or more carbon atoms of the ring.
Lactones are formed by intramolecular esterification of the co ...
, and duroin, another iridoid lactone.
This process, common amongst plants, is termed
allelopathy. In the case of ''Duroia hirsuta'', the chemical inhibitor is aided by the
Lemon Ant, a resident on and in the tree, and playing an active role in suppressing and destroying plant growth in the vicinity of their host by injecting and spraying
formic acid, and defending against herbivores - other ant species such as ''
Azteca'' spp. and ''Allomerus octoarticulatus demerarae'' exhibit the same
mutualism. The area around this
understory
In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abo ...
tree is often devoid of all other plant types, leading to the local name "
Devil's garden
In myrmecology and forest ecology, a devil's garden (Kichwa: ''Supay chakra''Frederickson, M. E., & Gordon, D. (2007). The devil to pay: the cost of mutualism with ''Myrmelachista schumanni'' ants in 'devil's gardens' is increased herbivory on ' ...
." The cost to the host plant for this protection is considerable, since the resident ants subject the tree to increased leaf cutting. Trees that grow outside the cleared area often have the living tissues of their trunks excavated and
galled for ant accommodation.
References
External links
New York Botanical Garden
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1955787
Cordiereae
Plants described in 1888