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A myrmecophyte or ant plant is a plant that lives in association with a colony of ants and possesses specialized organs in which the ants live.
For example, Myrmecodia, an epiphytic plant from Malaysia, develops root tubers containing a network of cavities inhabited by ants.
Several species of Acacia from tropical America have specialized hollow thorns for the same purpose. American acacia trees also offer carrot-like growths at the tips of their leaflets-a specialized food for the growing Pseudomyrmex larvae. This is probably a symbiotic relationship, with the ants helping to protect the plant from other insect pests and in return receiving shelter.
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