ant plant

[jeff 2]

do you cultivate these genus, particulary

- ant dischidia
- solanopteris
- lecanopteris
- rubiaceae ( myrmecodia-hydnophytum-myrmephytum-squamellaria-anthorrhiza )

if yes tell me by PM

jeff

 

[swords]

Yes I do currently grow Myrmercodia echinata and Lecanopteris mirabillis.

I have grown a Dischidia sp. before that has the large inflated bladders along with the small leaves but when they bloom they make a mess, exploding their fuzzy seeds all over the terrarium. I've also grown other Lecanopteris sp. and several different Hydnophytum species.

I grow them all in terrariums, my house is too dry and dark to grow in the windowsill. They grow well mounted or in a pot of long fibered sphagnum moss and orchid bark. Mine are currently living potted, until I set up some display terrariums that will be large enough for them to go in.

 

[jeff 2]

suite

for the dischidia
this one

or this one

myrmecodia echinata is a myrmecodia tuberosa 'armata'

have you some picture for your lecanopteris and hydnophytum , I am interested by them.

jeff

 

[swords]

I believe that's the Dischidia species I had, very easy to grow just annoying when those little red rocket flowers explode their fuzzy seed everywhere.

I have a few Ant Plant pics from last summer, need to update my files with new photos.

This is a young Hydnophytum simplex after being attacked by caterpillars outside.

Here's a young Lecanopteris mirabillis, this is my fave species because the leaves stay about 12" tall and it makes this really neat flat plate-like rhizome when it gets older.

And just because here is my Myrmercodia echinata

On this species the "open sores" on the stem is where the waxy white flowers come out.

 

[jeff 2]

suite

then the second picture , it is yours, a D.pectenoides .

if you want some other H.simplex seeds free I have a lot .

can you send me some others picture to yours myrmecodia , specialy a macro from the stem with the clypeoli and the alveoli .

it is a myrmecodia to nursery ?

jeff

 

[pearldiver]

Impressive, Luke Skywalker.

 

[Physalaemus]

I had a Hydnophytum for a couple years but sadly it didn't survive the mid-winter move to CA. Fun plants.

 

[raymond]

Sorry for being off topic but is it possible to have an ant plant in a formicarium (ant terrarium) with ant plants in it and have maybe black garden ants nest in it?

 

[rattler]

ive got a Lecanopteris.....forget which species off the top of my head.....

 

[swords]

is it possible to have an ant plant in a formicarium (ant terrarium) with ant plants in it and have maybe black garden ants nest in it?

You could try I suppose but just any ant species may not care to colonize the particular plant. They will probably need a queen and whatever else ant societies need otherwise captured ants may just work themselves to death trying to escape the terrarium and return to their queen. If you ordered an ant farm kit and set it up in the ant plant terrarium then maybe they would take up residence in the plant but there can be no guarantees they wouldn't just burrow into the tank substrate. They'd still be seen crawling on the plant anyway so the Biotope Terrarium effect would still be there.

For it to work you will need to ensure the tank is very well ventilated as Hydnophytum and Myrmercodia ant plants are not really that fond of high humidity and being wet, they tend to melt down. These two families do better at normal room humidity for me 20-40% as long as I remember to keep the soil moist. But if there's too much water on the leaves or succulent stems they go all mushy. The Lecanopteris ferns seem to do better in higher humidity/wetter environments.

 

[raymond]

i was thinking about dischidia plants and about picking up a queen when the mating swarms come.

 

[jeff 2]

suite

just tropical ant use these plant .Often just one ant specie are infeoded to one plant .

here in europe the ants species are not interested by these plants .

jeff