Australian Ant Plant - Myrmecodia beccarii

http://www.australian-gardens.info
A great Australian native, considered a succulent, housing chambers of ants.

"M. beccarii is distinguishable from other ant plants through its small and succulent leaves, as well as through its tendency to develop multiple stems. Typical for most ant plants are the hypocotyls, which are stems that enlarge to form a tuber-like structure. In Myrmecodia beccarii, these hypocotyls are covered in ridges and spines. The white flowers are not very conspicuous, as they are formed in hollows along the alveoli (stem). The ripe fruit then protrudes from the alveoli and they can be white, red, orange or pink.

When the plant grows, tissue within the tuber dies back and hollow chambers form. These chambers allow ants (mostly Iridomyrmex cordatus) to enter the plant. A symbiotic relationship exists between the plant and the ants; the plant provides a protective shelter for the ants, in turn the ants provide additional nutrients to the plant with its food leftovers. Not all plants are inhabited but examinations have proven that in the wild, the vast majority of plants house ant colonies." Ref. Australian National Botanic Gardens, Australian National Herbarium.

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