Ant-plants
A Macaranga triloba plant with food bodies under the stipules.
Ants are ubiquitous in Malaysia, and it is usual for them to be found crawling all over plants. However, the term 'ant-plant' is reserved for those constant associations between a particular species of plant and a particular species of ant. Out of the thousands of plant species in Malaysia only about a hundred can be considered ant-plants. These encompass a wide array of life forms, such as trees, shrubs, climbers and epiphytes, including ferns, and belong to many different families.
- Information in the full article includes
- Ant-plant association
- Protection against herbivores and plant competitors
- Epiphytes and ants
- Ant trees