Ants collect the diaspores for the edible elaiosome, carry them to their nests and consume the elaiosomes. Sometimes, the elaiosome content is sucked from the diaspores, or the elaiosome is loosened on the way to the nest.
Source: wiktionary
Elaiosome
Synonyms for "elaiosome" (2 found)
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3 entriesTranslations
3 translations across 2 languages.
Dutch
2 entries- elaiosoom noun (fleshy structure)
- mierenbroodje noun (fleshy structure)
Polish
1 entries- elajosom noun (fleshy structure)
Sample sentences
3 total sentences available.
Experiments with removal of C.^([Corydalis]) cava seeds with elaiosomes ablated, and with paper balls, infiltrated with juices of seed bodies and elaiosomes, showed the crucial role of elaiosome content in the ant attraction.
Source: wiktionary
Elaiosomes also vary in size, and ants in many instances preferentially disperse diaspores with the greatest elaiosome/diaspore mass ratio, although plants produce seeds of different sizes, allowing for a variety of ants to effect their dispersal
Source: wiktionary
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.