Elaiosome
Elaiosomes (
Elaiosomes develop in various ways either from seed tissues (chalaza, funiculus, hilum, raphe-antiraphe) or from fruit tissues (exocarp, receptacle, flower tube, perigonium, style or spicule).[1] The various origins and developmental pathways apparently all serve the same main function, i.e. attracting ants. Because elaiosomes are present in at least 11,000, but possibly up to 23,000 species of plants, elaiosomes are a dramatic example of convergent evolution in flowering plants.[2]
Caruncle
The particular elaiosome in the spurge family Euphorbiaceae is called caruncle (Latin caruncula "wart"). Seeds that have a caruncle are carunculate, seed that do not have a caruncle are ecarunculate.
List
A fully referenced current list of plants that have seeds with elaiosomes can be found in Lengyel et al. (2010).[2]
- Chelidonium majus (greater celandine)
- Claytonia virginica
- Cnidoscolus urens
- Corydalis
- Dicentra (bleeding-heart, Dutchman's breeches)
- Hyacinthus(hyacinth)
- Myrtus (myrtle)
- Ricinus communis(castor oil plant)
- Sanguinaria canadensis(Bloodroot)
- Trillium
- Viola (violet)
See also
- Aril
- stick insecteggs.
- Myrmecochory
References
External links
- http://waynesword.palomar.edu/plaug99.htm#antdispersal Archived 2015-11-10 at the Wayback Machine