- Beltian body
A Beltian body is a structure found on the leaves of some species of "
Acacia ". Beltian bodies, named afterThomas Belt , are found on the tips of each leaflet and are rich in lipids and proteins and often red in colour. They are believed to have evolved in a symbiotic relationship with ants. The ants live inside special plant structures (Domatia ) or near the plant and keep awayherbivore s. Other ant-mutualism related plant structures include Beccarian, Mullerian and pearl bodies. [cite journal|journal=Oecologia|title=The exploitation of an ant-defended host plant by a shelter-building herbivore|volume=109|issue=3|pages=454–460|year=1997|first=Micky D.|last=Eubanks|coauthors=Kimberly A. Nesci, Mette K. Petersen, Zhiwei Liu & Horacio Bonfil Sanchez|doi=10.1007/s004420050105] [cite book|first=Carlos M.|last=Herrera|coauthors=Olle Pellmyr|year=2002|title=Plant-animal Interactions: An Evolutionary Approach|publisher=Blackwell Publishing
isbn=0632052678]ee also
*
Plant defence against herbivory References
External links
* http://waynesword.palomar.edu/acacia.htm
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
