''Myrmephytum'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...
of
myrmecophytic flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
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 ...
. It is distributed from central
Malesia to
New Guinea
New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...
.
It is one of five
ant-plant
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/ ...
genera in the family Rubiaceae, the others being ''
Anthorrhiza
''Anthorrhiza'' is a genus of myrmecophytic flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea, including the Louisiade Archipelago. It is one of five ant-plant genera in the family Rubiaceae, the others being ''Hydnoph ...
'', ''
Hydnophytum
''Hydnophytum'' is a genus of epiphytic myrmecophytes (ant plants) native to Southeast Asia, the Pacific region and also extending into Queensland in northern Australia. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek ''hydnon'' "tuber", and ''phyton ...
'', ''
Myrmecodia'', and ''
Squamellaria
''Squamellaria'' is a genus of myrmecophytic flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is endemic to the islands of Fiji.
It is one of five ant-plant genera in the family Rubiaceae, the others being ''Anthorrhiza'', ''Hydnophytum'', '' Myr ...
''.
Species
The following list of 5 species is sourced from
The Plant List.
[''Myrmephytum'']
The Plant List.
*''
Myrmephytum arfakianum''
(Becc.) Huxley & Jebb
*''
Myrmephytum beccarii''
Elmer
*''
Myrmephytum moniliforme''
Huxley & Jebb
*''
Myrmephytum naumannii''
(Warb.) Huxley & Jebb
*''
Myrmephytum selebicum''
(Becc.) Becc.
References
Rubiaceae genera
Myrmecophytes
Taxa named by Odoardo Beccari
Psychotrieae
{{Rubioideae-stub