Pittosporum viridiflorum inflorescence

The inflorescence of Pittosporum viridiflorum is a densely branched, terminal cluster of small flowers. Flowering happens in spring. The photo was taken in Kirstenbosch during November.

The fruit is a globose, creamy brown capsule of up to 8 mm in diameter. Fruits grow stalked in loose, rounded clusters. The ripe fruit splits, revealing the four seeds covered in a shiny, orange-red, resinous coating. This coating is sticky and slow-drying, probably having a role in animal- and bird-assisted dispersal. Birds are known to eat the seeds. The fruits are seen on the tree during autumn and winter.

The generic name, Pittosporum, is derived from the Greek words pitta meaning resin and spora meaning seed, referring to the said feature (Venter, 2012; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; iNaturalist).