TY  - JOUR
AU  - Leroy, C.
AU  - Jauneau, A.
AU  - Quilichini, A.
AU  - Dejean, A.
AU  - Orivel, J.
PY  - 2010//
TI  - Comparative Structure and Ontogeny of the Foliar Domatia in Three Neotropical Myrmecophytes
T2  - Am. J. Bot.
JO  - American Journal of Botany
SP  - 557
EP  - 565
VL  - 97
IS  - 4
PB  - BOTANICAL SOC AMER INC
KW  - anatomy
KW  - ant-plant mutualism
KW  - Chrysobalanaceae
KW  - domatia
KW  - French Guiana
KW  - Hirtella physophora
KW  - Maieta guianensis
KW  - Melastomataceae
KW  - myrmecophyte
KW  - ontogeny
KW  - Tococa guianensis
N2  - The origin and timing of the appearance of leaf domatia during the ontogeny of plants are important evolutionary traits driving the maintenance of ant-plant associations. In this study conducted in French Guiana on Hirtella physophora, Maieta guianensis, and Tococa guianensis, we focused on the formation and development of leaf domatia having different morphological origins. We modeled the timing of the onset of these domatia, then compared their morpho-anatomical structure. Although the ontogenetic development of the domatia differed between species, they developed very early in the plant's ontogeny so that we did not note differences in the timing of the onset of these domatia. For H. physophora seedlings, a transitional leaf forms before the appearance of fully developed domatia, whereas in M. guianensis and T. guianensis the domatia forms abruptly without transitional leaves. Moreover, in all cases, the morpho-anatomical structure of the domatia differed considerably from the lamina. All three species had similar morpho-anatomical characteristics for the domatia, indicating a convergence in their structural and functional characteristics. This convergence between taxonomically distant plant species bearing domatia having different morphological origins could be interpreted as a product of the plant's evolution toward the morphology and anatomy most likely to maximize ant recruitment and long-term residence.
SN  - 0002-9122
N1  - ISI:000276045500003
ID  - Leroy_etal2010
ER  -