Myrmephytum 'longissimum' (Nabire)

This ant plant belongs to the little-known genus Myrmephytum . It differs from the more familiar Myrmecodia in the arrangement and structure of its flowers and inflorescences, and is particularly striking due to its large, blue flowers.

This plant originates from near Nabire, in the Indonesian county of Papua Tengah in New Guinea.

Myrmephytum 'longissimum' is a so-called 'nomen nudum', meaning "naked name." This means that while this plant has a botanical name, there is no scientific description of the species. A plant with similar leaves, but without a known caudex or flowers, was recorded as " Myrmedoma longissima " on a herbarium specimen, but the identity of this plant was never definitively established, and it was never described as a species. A revision integrated the genus Myrmedoma into Myrmephytum , resulting in the new combination " Myrmephytum longissimum ." However, this is not a described species! In the revision of the genus by Huxely & Jebb (1991), it is therefore referred to as " Myrmephytum species 1." Since it is now more commonly known as M. longissimum , we offer it under this (naked) name.

The caudex is elongated, with spiny ridges, and in nature the plant usually hangs upside down from large trees in the lowland rainforest. The surface is covered with numerous small holes.

The long, drooping leaves are particularly striking in this species. They grow to about 45 cm long and 3 to 4 cm wide. The flowers are among the most beautiful and largest in the genus. They are blue, about 5 cm across, and only open for a few days. After a short time, elongated, orange fruits develop from the flowers.

Myrmephytum grow surprisingly quickly with proper fertilization. This bizarre, hanging species is a highlight in any larger terrarium or grow tent.



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Myrmephytum 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 5.5cm pot (see picture 3 in the gallery).