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Melicytus ramiflorus
Also called Whitey Wood
Mahoe is a shrub or small tree from New Zealand, Norfolk Island and the Kermadecs, known for purple fruits that grow straight from the woody stems. It is not a common garden plant, and the sources give little on cultivation.
Melicytus ramiflorus, commonly known as māhoe, hinahina, and whiteywood, is a species of shrub or small tree in the family Violaceae. This species is characterised by its flowers and purple fruits, which grow directly from woody stems, a trait known as ramiflory. A distinct feature of this plant are the skeletonised leaves on the leaf litter, where the leaves retain their veins even after the rest of the tissue has decayed. There are two recognised subspecies of this plant: M. ramiflorus subsp. ramiflorus endemic to New Zealand, and subsp. oblongifolius endemic to Norfolk Island.
The plant was first described by the German naturalists Georg and Johann Reinhold Forster in 1776. M. ramiflorus is pollinated by insects, and its seeds are later dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivores), such as birds and lizards. M.
Melicytus ramiflorus's seeds are dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivores), such as birds and lizards. M. ramiflorus is pollinated by insects, although the nectar may be collected by bees, birds, flies, and thrips. Burrows (1995) recorded M. ramiflorus's fruits are eaten by kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), New Zealand bellbirds (Anthornis melanura), common blackbirds (Turdus merula), and silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis). Several other birds have been recorded eating the fruits, such as, tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae), kōkako (Callaeas sp.), whiteheads (Mohoua albicilla), and kākāriki (Cyanoramphus sp.). Deer, cattle, goats, horses, and possums eat the leaves.
There are several recorded Māori language names for the plant, including, hinahina, māhoe, and moeahu. The primary use of M. ramiflorus for the indigenous Māori people was using the wood to generate fire by friction. The primary use of the plant for European settlers was the burnt wood in the production of gunpowder. In traditional Māori medicinal practices, the inner bark was used to treat skin conditions and burns. The leaves were also of medicinal use. Another use for Māori was the black juice from the berries being used for tattoos (tā moko).
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Melicytus ramiflorus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
