Fruit types and seed dispersal modes of woody plants in Ahuriri Summit Bush, Port Hills, western Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand

Abstract

Abstract In Ahuriri Summit Bush Scenic Reserve, a 5 ha area of mixed angiosperm-podocarp forest, are 56 wild woody plant species, including five adventives. Lists are given for fruit types, seed numbers per fruit, fruit sizes, degree of fleshiness of the pericarp or accessory tissues of ripe fruit, fruit colours, and dispersal modes for the seeds. Of the 22 tree species, 86% have fruit with fleshy pericarps or accessory tissues; corresponding values for the 20 shrub species are 80%, and for the 14 vine species 50%. Most of these fleshy fruit (87%) are between 2 and 8 mm in diameter. The fruit of only four species exceed 10 mm in diameter. The most frequent fleshy fruit colours are black to dark purplish-black (40%), or red (25%). Some fruit are purple, blue, orange, yellow, or white. It is assumed that birds eat the fruit and disperse the seeds of all fleshy-fruited species (and the seeds of Pittosporum spp.). Seeds of the dry-fruited species are dispersed by wind or gravity alone. One or more of kereru (...