Hydnophytum formicarum

The nominate form of *Hydnophytum formicarum* , which is a highly variable species. A typical distinguishing feature from members of the *moseleyanum * group is the number of parallel leaf veins: in *H. formicarum* there are 6-12, while in *H. moseleyanum* there are only about 3-4. Typically, the caudex of *H. formicarum* remains less than 10 cm tall, but can grow to over 30 cm wide. The surface is rather smooth with some ridges running down the caudex. The plant usually branches profusely but only reaches a total height of about 50 cm. Aerial roots are few and far between. The leaves are very thick and leathery to the touch.
The small, white flowers have four petals, remain open for several days, and can be seen practically year-round. After a short time, the flowers develop into red fruits containing fertile seeds, which remain on the plant for some time. It has a wide distribution area from Myanmar through Borneo and the Philippines to the Moluccas.

A very rewarding vivarium plant. One of the few ant plants that, after acclimatization, are also suitable as a houseplant.



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Hydnophytum are so-called "ant plants" from the Rubiaceae family. They are widespread from Southeast Asia to Australia and from Papua to the Solomon Islands, and usually grow epiphytically on trees. They belong to the myrmecodomen ant plants, meaning they provide nesting sites for ants. Their thickened stem, also called a "caudex," is riddled with numerous tunnels and chambers inhabited by specialized ants, mostly from the genus Philidris . The ants do not create the chambers or the entrances themselves; these are formed solely by the plant, regardless of whether ants are present or not.

The plant has a mutually beneficial relationship with the ants that live in it. The ants protect the plant and their nest, and fertilize it with leftover food, droppings, and other waste. The plant contains several different types of chambers: some with smooth walls and others with warty walls. The warty chambers, in particular, are specially adapted for absorbing nutrients. The ants use the smooth chambers for nesting and the warty chambers as a waste disposal site, thus supplying the plant with nutrients. In some highly specialized ant-inhabiting plants, the ants even pollinate the flowers and plant the seedlings!

Over many years, the colonies of ants and ant-attracting plants spread across a tree, and other epiphytes associated with ants, such as Hoya , Dischidia , Lecanopteris , and orchids, also join them. A so-called " ant garden " is created.

Not every ant-friendly plant is actually inhabited by ants in nature. In fact, there are numerous species where ants have never been detected! This also means that no ant-friendly plant necessarily needs an ant colony to survive or thrive. All of our cultivated ant-friendly plants are, of course, ant-free! The caudex forms exactly the same way as it does in nature, even without ants.



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You will receive a young plant in a 5.5 cm pot. See the third image in the gallery.





You will receive a young plant in a 5.5cm pot (see picture 3 in the gallery).