| Duroia | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Duroia sp. by Maria Sybilla Merian | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Rubiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Ixoroideae |
| Tribe: | Cordiereae |
| Genus: | Duroia L.f. |
| Type species | |
| Duroia eriopila | |
| Synonyms | |
Duroia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus is found from Costa Rica to tropical South America. [1]
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 have yielded a strong plant growth inhibitor plumericin, a tetracyclic iridoid lactone. [2] 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 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 species Duroia hirsuta is often devoid of all other plant types, leading to the local name 'Devil's garden'. [3] The cost to the host plant for this protection is considerable, since the resident ants subject the tree to increased leaf cutting. [4]
In myrmecology and forest ecology, a devil's garden is a large stand of trees in the Amazon rainforest consisting of at most three tree species and the ant Myrmelachista schumanni. Devil's gardens can reach up to sizes of 600 trees and are inhabited by a single ant colony, containing up to 3 million workers and 15,000 queens. In a 2002 to 2004 census of the Amazon, devil's gardens were shown to have grown by 0.7 % per year. The relationship between tree and ant may persist for more than 800 years. A devil's garden is considered an example of mutualism, a type of symbiotic relationship between species.
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, or ant-plants, in which they reside.
Ixora is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is the only genus in the tribe Ixoreae. It consists of tropical evergreen trees and shrubs and holds around 562 species. Though native to the tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world, its centre of diversity is in Tropical Asia. Ixora also grows commonly in subtropical climates in the United States, such as Florida where it is commonly known as West Indian jasmine. Other common names include viruchi, kiskaara, kepale, rangan, kheme, ponna, chann tanea, techi, pan, siantan, jarum-jarum/jejarum, jungle flame, jungle geranium, and cruz de Malta, among others. The plants possess leathery leaves, ranging from 3 to 6 inches in length, and produce large clusters of tiny flowers in the summer. Members of Ixora prefer acidic soil, and are suitable choices for bonsai. It is also a popular choice for hedges in parts of South East Asia. In tropical climates they flower year round and are commonly used in Hindu worship, as well as in ayurveda and Indian folk medicine.
Remijia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. Within the family, it is a member of the subfamily Cinchonoideae and the tribe Cinchoneae.
Isertia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It contains 15 species of shrubs or small trees that are indigenous to the neotropics. A few are cultivated as ornamentals.
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 far north as Mexico, the Amazon Basin, the Guiana Shield, the Brazilian Atlantic coast and planalto.
Alibertia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is found in tropical America. They are dioecious trees or shrubs, with white flowers and indehiscent, often fleshy fruit.
Retiniphyllum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains 20 species. It is the only genus in the tribe Retiniphylleae. The representatives are shrubs or small trees that grow in white sand soils in tropical South America. They are mainly distributed in the Guayana Region (Venezuela) but also occur in the Amazon Basin, the eastern Andes and central and eastern Brasil.
Chomelia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It is native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and much of South America as far south as Argentina.
Pentagonia is a genus of over 40 species of plants in the family Rubiaceae. Pentagonia species are native to Central America and northern South America, and grow in moist tropical forests below 900m. The genus was first described by George Bentham in 1845.
Chimarrhis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. It has 15 recognized species, native to Central America, South America and the West Indies.
Coussarea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae. The genus is found from southern Mexico to tropical America.
Condamineeae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains about 305 species in 31 genera. Most genera are found in Central and Southern Tropical America, but a few occur in Southeast Asia.
Mitracarpus is a plant genus in the coffee family Rubiaceae. Girdlepod is a common name for some species in this genus.
Ferdinandusa is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, native to the American tropics.
Cordiereae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains 124 species in 12 genera. Its representatives are found in central and southern tropical America.
Urophylleae is a tribe of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae and contains 237 species in 6 genera. Its representatives are found in the tropics.
Sphinctanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rubiaceae, native to tropical South America. It is in a clade with Rosenbergiodendron and Tocoyena.
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