''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 n ...

of myrmecophytic

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

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 ...

. It is distributed from central

Malesia Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the Equator and the boundaries of the Indomalayan and Australasian realms, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom. It has been given different definitions. ...

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 an ...

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'', ''

Myrmecodia ''Myrmecodia'' is a genus of epiphytic myrmecophytes (mər′mek•ə‚fīt; literally "ant-plant"), native to Southeast Asia, but also present in Indochina, Malaysia, the Southwest Pacific, the Philippines, Fiji, and extending south to Queens ...

'', 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'', ''Myrme ...

''.

Species

The following list of 5 species is sourced from

The Plant List The Plant List was a list of botanical names of species of plants created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Missouri Botanical Garden and launched in 2010. It was intended to be a comprehensive record of all known names of plant species ...

.''Myrmephytum''

. *'' Myrmephytum arfakianum'' (Becc.) Huxley & Jebb *'' Myrmephytum beccarii'' Elmer *'' Myrmephytum moniliforme'' Huxley & Jebb *''

Myrmephytum naumannii ''Myrmephytum'' is a genus of myrmecophytic flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is distributed from central Malesia to New Guinea. It is one of five ant-plant genera in the family Rubiaceae, the others being '' Anthorrhiza'', '' ...

'' (Warb.) Huxley & Jebb *''

Myrmephytum selebicum ''Myrmephytum'' is a genus of myrmecophytic flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is distributed from central Malesia to New Guinea. It is one of five ant-plant genera in the family Rubiaceae, the others being ''Anthorrhiza'', '' Hydnop ...

'' (Becc.) Becc.

References

Rubiaceae genera Myrmecophytes Taxa named by Odoardo Beccari Psychotrieae {{Rubioideae-stub