Dispersal of the winged fruits of Nuytsia floribunda (Loranthaceae)

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Abstract
Fruits of the tree Nuytsia floribunda are dispersed by wind during autumn to mid‐winter when conditions are suitable for germination. While the greatest density of fallen fruits occurs beneath the canopy, most are dispersed well beyond the tree in the direction of the prevailing west‐southwesterly winds, with a minor peak corresponding to the easterlies. A multiple regression equation, which accounted for 77.5% of variance, was derived to account for the greatest dispersal distance per tree. This comprises, in decreasing order of importance, tree height, log (fruit load), and leeward and windward plant cover in the vertical plane. Extrapolation indicated a maximum distance of about 50 m can be expected, which is insufficient to account for the location of at least 6.5% of adult trees at the study site. This supports other evidence that suckering may play a major role in the spread of this species. Additional experiments confirmed the importance of wind velocity in the distance reached by fruits and the absence of biotic dispersal agents.