''Dischidia major'', the Malayan urn vine, is a plant in the genus ''

Dischidia ''Dischidia'' is a genus of plants in the “dog-bane” family Apocynaceae, collectively known as the “milkweeds” (true perennial milkweeds in the ''Apocynaceae'' are found in the genus ''Asclepias''). They are epiphytes, native to tropical ...

''. They carry modified leaves, offering accommodation to ants, including those of the family

Dolichoderinae Dolichoderinae is a subfamily of ants, which includes species such as the Argentine ant (''Linepithema humile''), the erratic ant, the odorous house ant, and the cone ant. The subfamily presents a great diversity of species throughout the world ...

, and in return gain some sustenance from increased carbon dioxide and nitrogen levels, and a degree of protection from noxious animals and plants. This mutualism trait, known as

myrmecophily 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 m ...

, is widespread across the plant world and clearly carries considerable benefits for both ants and plant. ''Dischidia major'' twines around the branches and trunks of trees, having a preference for those that are decaying. It produces both circular succulent leaves of about 2 cm diameter, and hollow, pouch-like 12 cm long leaves, reminiscent of the fruits of ''

Araujia sericifera ''Araujia sericifera'' is a perennial vining plant in the genus '' Araujia'', of the family Apocynaceae. The species was described in 1817 by the Portuguese botanist Félix de Avelar Brotero. The synonym ''Araujia hortorum'' is in more frequent ...

'', a related species. These modified leaves, pitchers or ascidia, are purplish and richly dotted with stomata on the inner surface, and have an opening at the top end near the stalk. Organic debris and rainwater, possibly augmented by secreted fluids, accumulate in the cavity over the course of time, offering a source of nutrition which the plant uses by growing roots into the chamber. ''

Dischidia astephana Dischidia astephana is a species of plant in the genus Dischidia native to Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo. A vining epiphyte that can cover an entire tree branch in dense leaves, it is often found growing near other Dischidia including '' D. alb ...

'' and '' D. parvifolia'' do not provide housing for resident ants, but have roots that penetrate decaying wood and humus, reaching into the ant nests and presumably obtaining nutrients from the ant waste there. ''Dischidia major'' flowers are yellow striped with green, and arranged in few or many-flowered

umbels In botany, an umbel is an inflorescence that consists of a number of short flower stalks (called pedicels) that spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs. The word was coined in botanical usage in the 1590s, from Latin ''umbella'' "p ...

. The fruit of ''D. major'' consists of the usual horn-shaped pair of follicles while the seed has a tuft of silky hairs at one end and includes an edible portion or

elaiosome Elaiosomes ( grc, ἔλαιον ''élaion'' "oil" + ''sóma'' "body") are fleshy structures that are attached to the seeds of many plant species. The elaiosome is rich in lipids and proteins, and may be variously shaped. Many plants have elaio ...

as incentive for ants to move the seed (

myrmecochory Myrmecochory ( (sometimes myrmechory); from grc, μύρμηξ, mýrmēks ("ant") and ''khoreíā'' ("circular dance") is seed dispersal by ants, an ecologically significant ant–plant interaction with worldwide distribution. Most myrmeco ...

) into nests inside the tree with an improved chance of germination and growth. Dischidia major (Vahl) Merr.08a.jpg, Plate from

Richard Wettstein __NOTOC__ Richard Wettstein (30 June 1863 in Vienna – 10 August 1931 in Trins) was an Austrian botanist. His taxonomic system, the Wettstein system, was one of the earliest based on phyletic principles. Wettstein studied in Vienna, where he was ...

's ''Handbuch der Systematischen Botanik'' 1924 Annual report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution (1896) (17813702993).jpg, Plate from Smithsonian Institution report, 1896 Dischidia rafflesiana vMH165.png, Plate from Anton Joseph Kerner von Marilaun, Adolf Hansen: Pflanzenleben

Bibliography

*''The Ecology and Evolution of Ant-Plant Interactions'' - Victor Rico-Gray & Paulo S. Oliveira (University of Chicago Press, 2007)

References

External links

''Dischidia major''Philidris ants living inside Dischidia epiphytes from Thailand
{{Taxonbar, from=Q5281449 Dischidia Flora of Asia Flora of Australia Flora of the Pacific Plants described in 1917