Myrmecophyte

Myrmecophytes (/mərˈmɛkəfaɪt/; literally "ant-plant") are plants that live in a mutualistic association with a colony of ants. There are over 100 different genera of myrmecophytes.^[1] These plants possess structural adaptations in the form of domatia where ants can shelter, and food bodies and extrafloral nectaries that provide ants with food.^[1] In exchange for these resources, ants aid the myrmecophyte in pollination, seed dispersal, gathering of essential nutrients, and defense.^[1] Domatia adapted specifically to ants may be called myrmecodomatia.^[2]