Lecanopteris sinuosa
| Lecanopteris sinuosa | |
|---|---|
| |
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Division: | Polypodiophyta |
| Class: | Polypodiopsida |
| Order: | Polypodiales |
| Suborder: | Polypodiineae |
| Family: | Polypodiaceae |
| Genus: | Lecanopteris |
| Species: | L. sinuosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Lecanopteris sinuosa Wall. ex. Hook.
| |
Lecanopteris sinuosa is a fern that belongs to the fern genus Lecanopteris. This epiphytic plant has a mutualistic relationship with stingless shelter ants, which makes it a myrmecophyte.[1]
The ant species associated with L. sinuosa belong within the genera Crematogaster, Technomyrmex or Iridomyrmex.[2] The ants rear their larvae within the rhizome for protection, and in turn, L. sinuosa receives nutritional benefit from feces and other debris left behind by the plants.[1] It is also suggested that L. sinuosa benefits from increased protection from herbivory and increased spore dispersal.[3]
Lecanopteris sinuosa belongs in the subgenus Myrmecopteris (comprising four species total),[4] which is characterized by ferns that have peltate scales and sori that are deeply immersed on the pinnae.[1]
Rhizome morphology[edit]
The unique rhizome structure of L. sinuosa allows it to maintain a mutualistic relationship with ants. As the plant is young, the rhizome is solid (without cavities), but as it matures, the thin walled parenchyma cells begin to hollow.[1] These cells become infused with phlopaphene (a deep brown strengthening substance), which causes the rhizome to appear rock-like.
Phylogeny[edit]
The monophyletic genus, Lecanopteris, is in the fern family, Polypodicaeae. It comprises two sub-genera: Lecanopteris and Myrmecopteris. The genus comprises 13 species total, all of which have rhizomes associated with ants.[1][4] Subgenus Lecanopteris is monophyletic, and Myrmecopteris is paraphyletic and contains L. sinuosa. Within the sub-genus, L. sinuosa is sister to Lecanopteris crustacea, Lecanopteris sarcopus (syn. L. lomarioides), and sub-genus Lecanopteris. This phylogenic relationship was determined based on a tree using parsimony and maximum likelihood combined using genetic sequences from the rbcL gene and the trnL-F non-coding region.[4]
Distribution[edit]
Lecanopteris sinuosa has been identified in Malesia, Sulawesi (Celebes), Philippines, New Guinea, Moluccas, Indochina, and Vanuatu.[4] It can survive in almost any habitat found in the listed locations except lowland rainforests.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f Gay, Honor (1993). "Rhizome structure and evolution in the ant-associated epiphytic fern Lecanopteris Reinw. (Polypodiaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 113 (2): 135–160. doi:10.1006/bojl.1993.1068.
- ^ Lok, A. F. S. L. & Tan, H. T. W. (2009). "Tuberous, Epiphytic, Rubiaceous myrmecophytes of Singapore" (PDF). Nature in Singapore. 2: 231–236.
- ^ Gay, Honor (1993). "Animal-fed plants: an investigation into the uptake of ant-derived nutrients by the far-eastern epiphytic fern Lecanopteris Reinw. (Polypodiaceae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 50 (3): 221–233. doi:10.1006/bijl.1993.1056.
- ^ a b c d Haufler, Christopher H. (2003). "Systematics of the ant-fern genus Lecanopteris (Polypodiaceae): testing phylogenetic hypotheses with DNA sequences". Systematic Botany. 28 (2): 217–227. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-28.2.217 (inactive 31 January 2024). JSTOR 3093992.
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