Derrick Posted February 27, 2014 Report Share Posted February 27, 2014 This is the almost spineless southern form that has some genetic differences to the far more widespread spiny northern form; however, it seems not enough for it to be given an infra generic ranking such as subspecies or variety. As usual it is accompanied by Dischidia nummularia and in this particular habitat frequently by the so called Onion orchid Dendrobium (Cepobaculum) tattonianum but no other epiphytes. Some specimens have an unusually bubbled tuber for which I have no idea as to cause but the affliction seems to be more common in these southern latitude plants. Most plants were perched on Paperbark trees, the species here being Melaleuca viridiflora. Paperbark trees grow in seasonal lowland swamps where the mosquitoes and sand flies can be horrendous. One must also be aware of venomous snakes, saltwater crocodiles and even the possibility of bush fires in the dry season. JPG] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Hi, Interesting plant indeed. Am wondering if this form is being grown in culture and how it may be possible for me to purchase some seed to germinate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrick Posted February 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Hello Darren, welcome to the world of myrmecophytes. From your photos, I think this is the form you have. Do you know where the original seed was collected in the wild, which would confirm it is from the far south populations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Hi Derrick, thank you. Unfortunately i am unaware of the origin of the seed for this plant. All i can tell you is that the fruits on my plant are orange. It does have a spiny caudex (even though the pics don't really show it). I am certain that the southern Mrymecodia has white fruits is that correct? Are there many plants if any in cultivation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrick Posted February 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 Darren, yes, both white fruited forms are in cultivation but you will need to locate someone with a license to cultivate/sell Australian hydnophyta to be able to obtain seed. However, most importantly you mention orange fruits. I have photographed many populations of M. beccarii from the far south to the far north of their range, but I have yet to see ANY with orange seeds. Indeed, to the degree that I thought reports of such were wrong. Please start a new thread entitled Myrmecodia beccarii "orange fruits" with copies of your photographs and especially closeups of the fruit when available. Edit. If at all possible try to track down where the original plants/seed came from but please don't publish the location because of illegal collectors. My interests are purely photography and the pursuit of knowledge. Your plant certainly raises some interesting questions and of course there is a distinct possibility that due to the huge expansion of humans and their agriculture in the wet tropics, your plants original habitat may no longer exist. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Pulvirenti Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Darren, your plant that you thought might be M.beccarii could turn out to be M.platytyrea subs.antoinii 'Mossman form' as my own specimen of this plant had me confused for some time. But as Derrick mentioned photos of the fruit would be helpful as well as clear photos of the stem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derrick Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Darren, your plant that you thought might be M.beccarii could turn out to be M.platytyrea subs.antoinii 'Mossman form' as my own specimen of this plant had me confused for some time. But as Derrick mentioned photos of the fruit would be helpful as well as clear photos of the stem. Darren's photos (see under his introduction entitled "hello") indicate it is Myrmecodia beccarii and probably close to the "southern form" that incidentally often has some spines but nothing like the amount seen on the "northern form." OOOOPS. EDIT. I have just had a closer look at the stem on an enlarged image and i think Robert is correct, it is very possibly M. platytyrea subsp., antoinii. A further surprise is that a plant possibly from wet tropics rainforest is surviving outside on the central New South Wales coast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hi, Derrick, Robert, Thats really intriguing news. I appreciate the information about obtaining the white fruited, smooth caudex form of Myrmecodia beccari, but I'm so new to this i wouldn't know where to begin to find someone who cultivates these plants in Australia. Should i just google search it, or can this forum help me out? Derrick, i will take some better pics of the fruits when available, unfortunately at the moment it seems to have finished fruiting. I wouldn't say they are a bright orange or any thing like that, more of a pale orange but still orange colour is there. My plant that i have at home is indeed growing flowering and has fruited out side, as my introduction thread shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Pulvirenti Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hi Darren, Pale orange is the correct fruit colour for M.platytyrea sub.antoinii. I can help you out with seed of some different species of ant plants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff Posted February 16, 2015 Report Share Posted February 16, 2015 DARREN have you a macro to the clypeoli and the alveoli of this supposed M.beccarii ' south form' the fruit colour , red, orange, pink ? pale orange or pale pink sometimes are close M.platytyrea subsp antoinii have a tuber with spine on mounds , and yours ? jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hi Robert and Jeff, If this is true about the species i have, turns out to be M.platyrea sub. antoinii. i am willing to pass on some fruit or maybe some seedlings to swap for other species. As there are no fruit just this minute i will endeavour to have a closer look at the fruits when they appear again (which I'm pretty sure are pale orange) and post pics up so as the true experts (unlike myself who is still quite new to the ant plant world) can rut out exactly what i may have. Its funny really I've gone from thinking i have something fairly common and ordinary to perhaps something i guess special. Robert thank you much appreciated, i would be happy for you to PM me so we can chat further about this( not sure how to PM someone just yet). Jeff, from what I've seen on this site and the net the "southern" beccarii form has white fruits. I will also have a closer look at the spines on my plant and if possible put a pic of them up for everyone to look at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff Posted February 17, 2015 Report Share Posted February 17, 2015 for the determination we have to take all the morphological characters of the plant.- tuber ( spine or not-form-etc)- Stem (clypeoli-alveoli- number)- leaves (lamina form- petiol-stipule)- inflorescence ( corolla-anther-stigma- ring of hair)- Fruit ( pyrenes number) for me just a fruit colour is not a good determinant , for example M.beccarii ( north form) have pink fruit but sometimes pale pink almost white, difficult to appreciate , but may be the pyrene number is more appropriate ? jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Hi, I'll do my best as a newbie! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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