seed dispersal by ants

Brian, you jogged my memory that it has been realized that ants are largely responsible for seed dispersal of trillium seed.  Perhaps trillium seed have eliasomes, and this is the big attraction and paycheck for the ants.  Somewhere I have a monograph on trillium, which may specifically state this.  But to find it would take too long…   and there are never enough hours in my days.  I’m really into southeastern USA native plants, and am crazy about trilliums.  Apologies to those that are on Daffnet, for only daffodils to be discussed, and don’t care for off-topic threads.

High heat…  and humidity to match, in middle GA,

Jaydee Atkins Ager

Executive Director

American Daffodil Society, Inc.

www.daffodilusa.org www.daffodilusastore.org www.daffseek.org

PO Box 522

Hawkinsville, GA  31036  USA

1 comment for “seed dispersal by ants


  1. Indeed, trilliums seem to have unusually large elaiosomes.  See refs below.
    m

    http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~efc/classes/pa/biblioFNLrp.pdf
    list of references on Ants & Seed Dispersal

    Gunther, R. W. & Lanza, J. 1989. Variation in attractiveness of Trillium diaspores to a seed-dispersing ant. American Midland Naturalist 122: 321-328.
    Study tested the hypothesis that ants preferentially select seeds with the largest elaiosomes. Results were somewhat supportive and somewhat mixed. A possible cause of this outcome is elaiosome composition which was not studied.

    Ohara, M. & Higashi, S. 1987. Interference by ground beetles with the dispersal by ants of seeds of Trillium species (Liliaceae). Journal of Ecology 75: 1091-1098.
    Study showed that the majority of seeds under observation had the elaiosome eaten by nocturnal ground beetles who did not transport seeds. Seeds with elaiosomes removed by beetles were not secondarily-dispersed by ants, thereby affecting long-range dispersal and resulting in seed clumping near the parent plant. The authors noted that Trillium elaiosomes are relatively large compared to those of other ant-dispersed species.

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