- Duroia
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Duroia 
Duroia sp. by Maria Sybilla Merian Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Eudicots (unranked): Asterids Order: Gentianales Family: Rubiaceae Genus: Duroia
L.f.Duroia is a genus of some 37 species of shrubs or canopy trees in the family Rubiaceae, favouring ants (myrmecophilous), and occurring in Central America as far north as Mexico, the Amazon Basin, the Guiana Shield, the Brazilian Atlantic coast and planalto.
A number of Duroia species, and possibly all, are capable of biochemical interactions inhibiting the growth of neighbouring plants. Analysis of root extracts from Duroia hirsuta have yielded a strong plant growth inhibitor plumericin, a tetracyclic iridoid lactone.[1] This process, common amongst plants, is termed allelopathy. In the case of Duroia hirsuta, the chemical inhibitor is aided by the leafcutter ant Myrmelachista schumanni resident on and in the tree, and playing an active role in suppressing and destroying plant growth in the vicinity of their host by injecting and spraying formic acid. The area around the understory species Duroia hirsuta is often devoid of all other plant types, leading to the local name 'Devil's garden'.[2] The cost to the host plant for this protection is considerable, since the resident ants subject the tree to increased leaf cutting.[3]
Species
Duroia contains the following species:[4]
- Duroia amapana Steyerm.
- D. aquatica (Aubl.) Bremek.
- D. bolivarensis Steyerm.
- D. costaricensis Standl.
- D. duckei Huber
- D. eriopila L.f.
- D. fusifera Spruce ex K.Schum.
- D. genipoides Spruce ex K.Schum.
- D. gransabanensis Steyerm.
- D. hirsuta (Poepp.) K.Schum.
- D. hirsutissima Steyerm.
- D. kotchubioides Steyerm.
- D. laevis Devia Perss. & C.M.Taylor
- D. longiflora Ducke
- D. longifolia (Poepp.) K.Schum.
- D. macrophylla Huber
- D. maguirei Steyerm.
- D. martiniana (Miers) Bremek.
- D. melinonii Standl.
- D. merumensis Steyerm.
- D. micrantha (Ladbr.) Zarucchi & J.H.Kirkbr.
- D. nitida Steyerm.
- D. palustris Ducke
- D. paraensis Ducke
- D. paruensis Steyerm.
- D. petiolaris Spruce ex K.Schum.
- D. plicata Benoist
- D. prancei Steyerm.
- D. retrorsipila Steyerm.
- D. saccifera (Mart. ex Schult. & Schult.f.) K.Schum.
- D. sancti-ciprianii Devia Perss. & C.M.Taylor
- D. soejartoi D.R.Simpson
- D. steinbachii Standl.
- D. strigosa Steyerm.
- D. trichocarpa Standl.
- D. triflora Ducke
- D. velutina Hook.f. ex K.Schum.
References
- ^ J. E. Page, S. Madrinan & G. H. N. Towers (1994). "Identification of a plant growth inhibiting iridoid lactone from Duroia hirsuta, the allelopathic tree of the 'Devil's Garden'". Experientia 50 (9): 840–842. doi:10.1007/BF01956467.
- ^ David G. Campbell, P. Mick Richardson & Arito Rosas, Jr (1989). "Field screening for allelopathy in tropical forest trees, particularly Duroia hirsuta, in the Brazilian Amazon". Biochemical Systematics and Ecology 17 (5): 403–407. doi:10.1016/0305-1978(89)90057-4.
- ^ Megan E. Frederickson & Deborah M. Gordon (2007). "The devil to pay: a cost of mutualism with Myrmelachista schumanni ants in ‘devil's gardens’ is increased herbivory on Duroia hirsuta trees". Proceedings of the Royal Society B 274 (1613): 1117–1123. doi:10.1098/rspb.2006.0415. PMC 2124481. PMID 17301016. http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/274/1613/1117.short.
- ^ "Duroia". The Plant List. http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/search?q=Duroia. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
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