| Ant tree | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| female flowers | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Caryophyllales |
| Family: | Polygonaceae |
| Genus: | Triplaris |
| Species: | T. americana |
| Binomial name | |
| Triplaris americana | |
Triplaris americana is a species of flowering plant in theknotweed family known by many common names, includingant tree[1] orpau-formiga ("ant tree"),[2]guacamayo,guayabo zancón,hormiguero,palo de Santa María,tachí,vara santa,[3]pau-de-novato,formigueiro,taxizeiro,[2] anddevil tree.[4] It is native toCentral andSouth America, occurring fromPanama toBrazil.[1] It is also cultivated as anornamental for its showy pink flowers.[5]
The ant tree grows up to 30 meters in height, with a trunk up to 30 centimeters in diameter andochrea up to 12 centimeters in length. Its smooth bark is a mottled gray color. The leaves are oval to oblong and measure up to 40 centimeters long by 20 wide, with undersides that are sometimes woolly with brown fibers. The male flowers are around 2 millimeters long, while the female flowers are up to 5 centimeters long.[1] This tree isdioecious, and has a skewedsex ratio with many more female plants than male.[6]
This tree grows inriparian habitat types, and is a colonizer of disturbed habitat.[6] It has been introduced to areas outside its native range, includingHawaii[1] and southernAfrica.[5]
This species of tree is amyrmecophyte and it has amutualistic relationship withants, includingPseudomyrmex triplarinus. This kind of ant lives within the tree, feeding on substances produced by it and defending it against invaders.[7] This tree is known as a "novice tree" (pau-de-novato) because only one unfamiliar with the tree would touch it, soon discovering that the ants are aggressive and venomous.[2]
This tree is considered anoxious weed in southern Africa.[1] The fruits aredispersed on the wind and the seedlings easily take hold and becomeinvasive, growing in the local habitat and displacing native plants.[5]
