''Duroia'' 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 ...

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 ...

. 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 growth of neighbouring plants. Analysis of root extracts from ''

Duroia hirsuta ''Duroia hirsuta'' is a myrmecophyte tree species from the Amazon Forest. It is one of some 37 species of ''Duroia,'' which are shrubs or canopy trees in the family Rubiaceae, favouring ants (myrmecophilous), and occurring in Central America as ...

'' have yielded a strong plant growth inhibitor plumericin, a tetracyclic

iridoid Iridoids are a type of monoterpenoids in the general form of cyclopentanopyran, found in a wide variety of plants and some animals. They are biosynthetically derived from 8-oxogeranial. Iridoids are typically found in plants as glycosides, mos ...

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 ...

. This process, common amongst plants, is termed allelopathy. In the case of ''Duroia hirsuta'', the chemical inhibitor is aided by the leafcutter ant ''

Myrmelachista schumanni ''Myrmelachista schumanni'', also known as the lemon ant, is a species of ant from South America. It is notable for the creation of Devil's garden. Using its own herbicide they kill off all the plants in an area except for the myrmecophytes ...

'' 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. The area around the

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 ...

species ''Duroia hirsuta'' 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.

Species

*'' Duroia amapana'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia aquatica'' ( Aubl.) Bremek. *'' Duroia bolivarensis'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia costaricensis'' Standl. *'' Duroia duckei'' Huber *'' Duroia eriopila'' L.f. *'' Duroia fusifera'' Spruce ex

K.Schum. Karl Moritz Schumann (17 June 1851 – 22 March 1904) was a German botanist. Schumann was born in Görlitz. He was curator of the Botanisches Museum in Berlin-Dahlem from 1880 until 1894. He also served as the first chairman of the ''Deut ...

*'' Duroia genipoides'' Spruce ex

*'' Duroia gransabanensis'' Steyerm. *''

'' (Poepp.)

*'' Duroia hirsutissima'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia kotchubioides'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia laevis'' Devia Perss. & C.M.Taylor *'' Duroia longiflora'' Ducke *'' Duroia longifolia'' (Poepp.)

*'' Duroia macrophylla'' Huber *''

Duroia maguirei ''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 g ...

'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia martiniana'' ( Miers) Bremek. *'' Duroia melinonii'' Standl. *'' Duroia merumensis'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia micrantha'' (Ladbr.) Zarucchi & J.H.Kirkbr. *'' Duroia nitida'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia palustris'' Ducke *'' Duroia paraensis'' Ducke *'' Duroia paruensis'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia petiolaris'' Spruce ex

*'' Duroia plicata'' Benoist *'' Duroia prancei'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia retrorsipila'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia saccifera'' ( Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f.)

*'' Duroia sancti-ciprianii'' Devia Perss. & C.M.Taylor *'' Duroia soejartoi'' D.R.Simpson *'' Duroia steinbachii'' Standl. *'' Duroia strigosa'' Steyerm. *'' Duroia trichocarpa'' Standl. *'' Duroia triflora'' Ducke *'' Duroia valesca'' C.H.Perss. & Delprete *'' Duroia velutina''

Hook.f. Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker (30 June 1817 – 10 December 1911) was a British botanist and explorer in the 19th century. He was a founder of geographical botany and Charles Darwin's closest friend. For twenty years he served as director of ...

References

External links

''Duroia'' in the World Checklist of Rubiaceae

New York Botanical Garden
Rubiaceae genera Cordiereae {{Ixoroideae-stub