Story: Shrubs and small trees of the forest

Māhoe in berry

Māhoe in berry

Māhoe (Melicytus ramiflorus), a member of the violet family, is a common tree of coastal and lowland forest, and regenerating shrublands. It is also known as whiteywood, a reference to its pale bark. The leaves are bright green and coarsely toothed. The lacy leaf skeletons are common on the forest floor. Māhoe has separate male and female trees. Flowering is in late spring and summer, and berries ripen during late summer and autumn. Each berry contains six to seven seeds. Native birds such as pigeons and waxeyes spread the seeds after feeding on the fleshy berries.

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Photograph by Alastair McLean

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How to cite this page:

Joanna Orwin, 'Shrubs and small trees of the forest - Lookalike subcanopy trees', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/photograph/13792/mahoe-in-berry (accessed 29 March 2024)

Story by Joanna Orwin, published 24 Sep 2007, updated 1 Jul 2015