Pollichia campestris fruit

After flowering, each cyme or Pollichia campestris inflorescence is transformed into one berry-like fruit, enveloped by translucent white, waxy and succulent bracts. This happens when each floret’s ovary grows into a mostly one-seeded capsule, covered by its calyx.

Collectively all these little fruits from the same inflorescence are jointly wrapped by the swelling bract bases around them. Thus, an infructescence or fruit head resembling a berry is formed by all the seeds grown from one cyme’s florets.

This fruit head starts off white and turns yellow brown. When ripe, the sweet fruits are eaten by people and birds, ensuring seed dispersal (Van Rooyen and Van Rooyen, 2019; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Pooley, 1998; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist).