■ ANT-SUPPORTING PLANTS. 
31 
which these ants take possession of the Myrmecodia , and the 
intimate relation which exists between the plant and the insect, 
are thus referred to in Professor Camel’s recent paper upon the 
genus.* The account is quoted from a manuscript note by Dr. 
Beccari,f who collected the plant in Borneo : — 
“I have carefully followed the development of this tuber, 
having been able to observe the young plants in all stages of 
growth from the period of germination. The seed is surrounded 
by a viscid pulp, resembling that of our mistletoe, which readily 
attaches itself to the branches of the trees upon which it falls. 
Its dissemination is probably caused by means of the birds 
which eat the fruit, the undigested seed passing through them 
and adhering to -the branches. The seed soon germinates and 
unfolds its cotyledons, especially if it has fallen in an opening 
of a branch where lichens have collected, or if it be placed 
in mould; the stem developes itself to the length of from 
three to six millimetres, widening towards the base, acquiring a 
somewhat conical shape, with the two cotyledons at its apex. 
In this condition it remains until a particular species of ant 
burrows a small lateral cavity at the base of the stem ; if this 
does not happen, the stem does not develope itself, and the 
plant dies. The wound caused by the bite of the ant deter- 
mines a great development of cellular tissue, in the same way as 
the sting of the cynips causes the galls on the oak. The tuber 
now enlarges and the stem developes ; the ants soon find suffi- 
cient space for forming a colony, and excavate galleries in the 
interior of the tuber in all directions, thus making for them- 
selves a living habitation — a circumstance which is necessary to 
the existence of the plant. The plant could not live or even 
arrive at maturity unless the ants contributed to the formation 
of the organ which must be the source from which it derives its 
support, while in all probability the ants could not exist or 
propagate themselves unless they had discovered this mode of 
constructing so ingenious an habitation. The fleshy substance 
of this formicarium is formed of cellular tissue ; the channels 
and galleries with which it is perforated have their entrance 
near the lower part of the tuber.” 
The genus Myrmecodia was formerly regarded as exclusively 
Malayan; but it is represented in Java by another species (or 
perhaps a form of M. tuberosa ); and fine Australian specimens 
which perhaps belong to a new and undescribed species, have 
been recently received at Kew from Mr. Hill, of Brisbane. They 
greatly resemble a wasp’s nest in external appearance, being of 
* “ Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano,” iv. 170 — 176 (1872). 
t This author has since described a new species from Celebes under the 
name of M. selebica in “ Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano,” vi. 195 (1874), 
It is intermediate between Myrmecodi' and llydnophytum. 
