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Unlike most staghorn ferns which hold their shield fronds in an open basket-like shape to collect falling leaf litter, this unusual species (Platycerium ridleyi) clasps its leaves entirely around the host tree branch. The secret lies within: it plays host to a colony of ants which live underneath the sheltering enclosure of the fronds. As with other myrmecophytes (ant-plants), this fern gains its nutrients from the detritus that the ants leave behind, and it is frequently found growing in groups in the same tree (in addition to other species of ant ferns) that are inhabited by the same extensive ant colony. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).

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© Chien C. Lee
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Keywords
Contained in galleries
Borneo, Plants
Unlike most staghorn ferns which hold their shield fronds in an open basket-like shape to collect falling leaf litter, this unusual species (Platycerium ridleyi) clasps its leaves entirely around the host tree branch. The secret lies within: it plays host to a colony of ants which live underneath the sheltering enclosure of the fronds. As with other myrmecophytes (ant-plants), this fern gains its nutrients from the detritus that the ants leave behind, and it is frequently found growing in groups in the same tree (in addition to other species of ant ferns) that are inhabited by the same extensive ant colony. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).