TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fiala, Brigitte
A1  - Maschwitz, Ulrich
T1  - Food bodies and their significance for obligate ant-association in the tree genus Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae)
N2  - The production of extrafloral nectar and food bodies plays an important role in many tropical ant-plant mutualisms. In Malaysia, a close association exists between ants and some species of the pioneer tree genus Macaranga (Euphorbiaccac). Macaranga is a very diverse genus which exhibits all stages ofintcraction with ants, from facultative to obligatory associations. The ants nest inside the hollow inlcrnodes and reed mainly on food budies provided by the plants. Food body production had previously been reported only in myrrnecophytic Macaranga species, where it is usually coneentrated on protected parts or the plants such as recurved stipules. We found that non-myrmecophytic Macaranga species also produce food bodies on leaves and stems, where they are collected by a variety or ants. Levels of food body production differ between facultatively and obligatorily ant-associated species but also among the various non-myrmecophytes. This may he rdated to the degree of interaction with ants. Food body production starts at a younger age in the myrmccophytic species than in the transitional or non-myrmcccophytic Macaranga. Although food bodies of the non-inhabited Macaranga species are collected by a variety of ants, there is nu evidence of association with specific ant species. Our observations suggest that food bodies enhance the evolution of ant-plant interactions. Production of food bodies alone, however, does not appear to be the most important factor for the development of obligate myrmccopllytism in Macaranga.
KW  - Ant-plant interactions
KW  - evolution
KW  - food bodies
KW  - Macaranga
KW  - Malaysia
KW  - myrmrcophytism
Y1  - 1992
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-32921
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Weising, Kurt
A1  - Fiala, Brigitte
T1  - Botanische Eindrücke vom Bako-Nationalpark / Sarawak
N2  - No abstract available
Y1  - 1992
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-42947
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fiala, Brigitte
A1  - Maschwitz, Ulrich
T1  - Domatia as most important adaptations in the evolution of myrmecophytes in the paleotropical tree genus Macaranga (Euphorbiacae)
N2  - The paleotropical tree genus Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) comprises all stages of interaction with ants, from facultative associations to obligate myrmecophytes. In SE.-Asia food availability does not seem to be the limiting factor for the development of a close relationship since all species provide food for ants in form of extrafloral nectar and/or food bodies. Only myrmecophytic Macaranga species offer nesting space for ants (domatia) inside intern odes which become hollow due to degeneration of the pith. Non-myrmecophytic species have a solid stem with a compact and wet pith and many resin ducts. The stem interior of some transitional species remains solid, but the soft pith can be excavated. The role of different ant-attracting attributes for the development of obligate ant-plant interactions is discussed. In the genus Macaranga, the provision of nesting space seems to be the most important factor for the evolution of obligate myrmecophytism.
KW  - Angiosperms ; Ant-plant interactions ; domatia ; Flora of Malaysia
Y1  - 1992
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-32935
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Maschwitz, Ulrich
A1  - Fiala, Brigitte
A1  - Linsenmair, K. Eduard
T1  - A new ant-tree from SE Asia: Zanthoxylum myriacanthum (Rutaceae), the Thorny Ivy-Rue
N2  - Zanthoxylum myriacanthum, a small Rutaceous tree growing mainly in secondary hill forests in SE Asia, is a true myrmecophyte. It possesses stem domatia in the form of hollow branches with slitlike openings. Branch hollows and entrance slits are produced by the plant itself through pith degene~.tion ?u.d growth proceSses. If the entrance is not kept open by ants it closes again by growth ol the surrounding tissue after some time. The domatia are colonized opportunistic ally by different arboreous ants, e.g. Crematogaster and Campono tus. Additionally many small extrafloral nectaries are found on the leaflets of Zanthoxylum myriacanthum. Judging from herbarium studies and literature records at least four more true ant trees are found in the genus Zanthoxylum namely Z. rhetsa in SE Asia, Z. conspersipunctatum, Z. pluviatile and Z. vinkii in New Guinea. We could not confirm ant inhabitation in Drypetes pendula (Euphorbiaceae) on the Malay Peninsula, which has also been recorded to be an anttree.
Y1  - 1992
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-42967
SN  - 0025-1291
ER  -