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Inga Symbiont
Inga sp.
4.24409, -73.3495
Field Notes
Description:
Inga species belong to the Mimosoideae family, most of these plants are Myrmecophytes, which means they're a plant with a mutualistic relationship with a colony of ants. These plants possess structures within their bodies specifically for the ants to be benefited by, in this specific case, the ants are feeding from nectaries the tree grows, the ants get a constant high-energy meal and the plant gets 24h protection from any leaf-eating insect.
Habitat:
Tropical Grassland
Notes:
The last picture is the tree's fruiting body, which seems to be designed to host ants, as it was brimming with them, these structures are called Domatia, along with nectaries, they're iconic in myrmecophytes
Reference Links:
Inga - Wikipedia
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Spotted for Missions
Photographed
PublishedJanuary 21, 2017
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