Melicytus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Violaceae (violet family), order Malpighiales, comprising around 19 accepted species. The genus is native to New Zealand, Australia, and the southwestern Pacific, including Fiji, Samoa, Norfolk Island, and the Chatham Islands. The synonym Hymenanthera was previously used for several of these species before they were consolidated into Melicytus.
Members of the genus are shrubs and small trees, typically reaching up to 15 metres in height. The bark is characteristically greyish-white with bright green underbark, and the wood is notably soft and white. Leaves are generally lanceolate to elliptic, light or dark green, and coarsely serrated along the margins. Plants are typically dioecious, with small greenish-yellow flowers (3–8 mm in diameter) borne in clusters along the branchlets or in leaf axils. The fruit is a small violet, dark blue, or purple berry containing 3–6 seeds, which are dispersed by birds.
The most widespread and well-known species is Melicytus ramiflorus (mahoe or whitey-wood), an abundant tree of New Zealand's coastal, lowland, and montane forests that has also become a common feature of urban gardens near native bush. Other notable species include M. macrophyllus (large-leaved mahoe), M. crassifolius (thick-leaved mahoe), and M. dentatus (tree violet) from Australia.
Etymology
The name Melicytus derives from the Greek meli (honey) and kytos (hollow container), referring to the staminal nectaries of the flowers — literally meaning "honey-cave." The synonym Hymenanthera was formerly applied to several species in the genus.
Distribution
Melicytus is native to New Zealand, Australia, and the southwestern Pacific, with species occurring across New Zealand's main islands, the Chatham Islands, Norfolk Island, Fiji, and Samoa. Melicytus ramiflorus is the most widespread, ranging throughout New Zealand from coastal to lower montane forests, while M. dentatus (tree violet) is primarily an Australian species.
Ecology
Species of Melicytus are abundant components of coastal, lowland, and lower montane forests in New Zealand. Their small berries are dispersed by birds, enabling colonisation well beyond forest margins and contributing to regeneration in modified landscapes. Melicytus ramiflorus is classified as facultative upland (FACU) for wetland indicator purposes, meaning it occasionally occurs in wetlands but is primarily found in drier forest habitats. Flowering occurs from November to February, with fruiting from November to March.
Cultivation
Melicytus ramiflorus and related species are commonly cultivated in New Zealand and are available from commercial nurseries. In many urban areas adjacent to indigenous forest, mahoe self-naturalises into gardens via bird-dispersed fruit, sometimes appearing many kilometres from forest remnants.
Propagation
Melicytus species are easy to propagate from fresh seed. They can also be grown from semi-hardwood cuttings, though rooting is generally slow without a mist unit.
