Lecanopteris sinuosa

Lecanopteris sinuosa is a fern that belongs to the fern genus Lecanopteris. This epiphytic plant has a mutualistic relationship with stingless shelter ants, which makes it a myrmecophyte.[1]

Lecanopteris sinuosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Class: Polypodiopsida
Order: Polypodiales
Suborder: Polypodiineae
Family: Polypodiaceae
Genus: Lecanopteris
Species:
L. sinuosa
Binomial name
Lecanopteris sinuosa
Wall. ex. Hook.

The ant species associated with L. sinuosa belong within the genera Crematogaster, Technomyrmex or Iridomyrmex.[2] The ants rear their larvae within the rhizome for protection, and in turn, L. sinuosa receives nutritional benefit from feces and other debris left behind by the plants.[1] It is also suggested that L. sinuosa benefits from increased protection from herbivory and increased spore dispersal.[3]

Lecanopteris sinuosa belongs in the subgenus Myrmecopteris (comprising four species total),[4] which is characterized by ferns that have peltate scales and sori that are deeply immersed on the pinnae.[1]

Rhizome morphology

The unique rhizome structure of L. sinuosa allows it to maintain a mutualistic relationship with ants. As the plant is young, the rhizome is solid (without cavities), but as it matures, the thin walled parenchyma cells begin to hollow.[1] These cells become infused with phlopaphene (a deep brown strengthening substance), which causes the rhizome to appear rock-like.

Phylogeny

The monophyletic genus, Lecanopteris, is in the fern family, Polypodicaeae. It comprises two sub-genera: Lecanopteris and Myrmecopteris. The genus comprises 13 species total, all of which have rhizomes associated with ants.[1][4] Subgenus Lecanopteris is monophyletic, and Myrmecopteris is paraphyletic and contains L. sinuosa. Within the sub-genus, L. sinuosa is sister to Lecanopteris crustacea, Lecanopteris sarcopus (syn. L. lomarioides), and sub-genus Lecanopteris. This phylogenic relationship was determined based on a tree using parsimony and maximum likelihood combined using genetic sequences from the rbcL gene and the trnL-F non-coding region.[4]

Distribution

Lecanopteris sinuosa has been identified in Malesia, Sulawesi (Celebes), Philippines, New Guinea, Moluccas, Indochina, and Vanuatu.[4] It can survive in almost any habitat found in the listed locations except lowland rainforests.[1]

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References
  1. Gay, Honor (1993). "Rhizome structure and evolution in the ant‐associated epiphytic fern Lecanopteris Reinw. (Polypodiaceae)". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 113 (2): 135–160. doi:10.1006/bojl.1993.1068.
  2. Lok, A. F. S. L. and Tan, H. T. W. (2009). "Tuberous, Epiphytic, Rubiaceous myrmecophytes of Singapore" (PDF). Nature in Singapore. 2: 231–236.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. Gay, Honor (1993). "Animal‐fed plants: an investigation into the uptake of ant‐derived nutrients by the far‐eastern epiphytic fern Lecanopteris Reinw. (Polypodiaceae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 50 (3): 221–233. doi:10.1006/bijl.1993.1056.
  4. Haufler, Christopher H. (2003). "Systematics of the ant-fern genus Lecanopteris (Polypodiaceae): testing phylogenetic hypotheses with DNA sequences". Systematic Botany. 28 (2): 217–227. doi:10.1043/0363-6445-28.2.217 (inactive 2020-01-22). JSTOR 3093992.
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