Germination of miro ( <i>Prumnopitys ferruginea</i> ) seeds after consumption by New Zealand pigeons ( <i>Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae</i> )

Abstract

Abstract Fruits of miro ( Prumnopitys ferruginea ), a large podocarp tree, are commonly eaten by New Zealand pigeons ( Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae ), and defecated as intact seeds. To test if germination is affected by passage of seeds through a pigeon gut, ripe miro fruit were fed to captive pigeons and defecated seeds were collected. These seeds were planted and their germination rates were compared with those of uneaten ripe fruits, planted at the same time. No seeds germinated for 18 months, but thereafter germination continued for over 4 years from planting. There was considerable variation (5‐100%) in germination rate between replicates and no significant difference in overall germination rate between seeds which had and had not passed through a pigeon gut.