Do cowpeas make nectar directly for ants?

Not talking about the flowers. Don't see aphids but ants and wasps seem to love the ends of cow pea plants, including yard long beans. Read in Africa there is symbiotic relationship but most places say it's just aphids releasing sap for the ants.

Benton Lewis wrote:Not talking about the flowers. Don't see aphids but ants and wasps seem to love the ends of cowpea plants, including yard long beans. Read in Africa there is a symbiotic relationship but most places say it's just aphids releasing sap for the ants.

Yes, it appears that they make nectar at the petioles.  Scroll down to IPM insectary crop.

Sustainable Ag-Cowpeas

Thanks!  “extrafloral nectaries” is a good way to put it

Looks like they are sharing it!

It's pretty amazing.  I used to think of ants as one-dimensional but I see them on all kinds of stuff.  There must be a purpose in the grand scheme of things.    

I didn't think about it at the time but I have seen quite a few ants on Kazakhstan apple seedlings.  I will take a closer look the next time I'm out there.

Cow peas, just another beneficial cover crop.   I will be planting some of these.