Myrmecodia cf. kutubuensis

This ant plant is also known as Myrmecodia sp. 'Lake Kutubu'. It closely resembles the species Myrmecodia kutubensis , described in 1993, but has significantly broader leaves than described in the literature. Therefore, we have named it Myrmecodia cf. kutubuensis .

This ant plant is found only at Lake Kutubu, the second largest lake in Papua New Guinea.

It develops an irregularly shaped, spiny caudex with unbranched, black spines arranged in loose rows. The entrances for ants into the caudex are irregularly distributed. Myrmecodia kutubuensis is an epiphyte and only grows upright as a young plant. In nature, the elongated caudex is horizontal or hanging, and the plant should be supported in this position to ensure good growth.

As is typical for Myrmecodia, the plant usually has only one main stem, which grows longer and thicker but branches little or not at all. In Myrmecodia kutubuensis, the stem also has spines. The flowers emerge from depressions in the stem, called alveoli. These depressions protect the developing, delicate flowers until they are ready to open. The flowers are white, about 5 to 8 mm in size, and only open for a few days. After a short time, elongated, salmon-colored fruits develop from the flowers.

Myrmecodia kutubuensis is a somewhat smaller Myrmecodia species. The caudex grows to about 30 cm in length and reaches a diameter of approximately 10 cm.

Myrmecodia kutubuensis grows quickly with proper care. It is best kept in a terrarium or a plant display case.

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[expand Title=" About Ant Plants "]

Myrmecodia 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 mostly 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). Myrmecodia plants develop corky growths on their leaves. These are not pests!