Aristotelia serrata, commonly known as wineberry and makomako, is a species of small tree in the family Elaeocarpaceae. It is a fast-growing dioecious tree which can be semideciduous. It is endemic to New Zealand. Its range mainly covers the North, South, and Stewart Islands. The tree can reach up to 10 metres (30 feet) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 30cm (12in). The bark is grey or pale brown, smooth, and patterned with flat lenticels.
Aristotelia serrata (wineberry) is a dioecious species of small tree up to about 10 metres (30 feet) tall, with a trunk up to 30cm (10in) in diameter. The smooth bark is grey or pale brown in colour, with flat lenticels.[1][2] Branchlets are light to dark red in colour. Leaves are typically arranged oppositely or nearly so. The petioles are slender, greenish or pinkish in colour, and are up to 50mm long. The laminae (leaf blades) are thin, smooth, 5cm–12cm ×4cm–8cm (2in–5in ×2in–3in) long, broad-ovate, and sharply serrated. The upper surface of the leaves is light or dark green in colour, and the undersides are paler.[2]A. serrata can be semideciduous.[3]A. serrata has been described as "fast-growing" and "short-lived".[4][5]
The inflorescences (flower clusters) are found in panicles which are 6–10cm (2–4in) long. Flowering occurs from September to December. Flowers are 4–6mm in diameter, and the panicles are 6–10cm (2.4–3.9in) long, or, on pedicels, are 5–10mm long. The sepals are about 3mm long and pink in colour. The petals are about 9mm long, and white, light pink to red in colour. The stamens are numerous. Fruiting occurs from November to January. Fruits are fleshy berries, globe-shaped, bright red to black in colour, and 5×4mm long. The seeds are 1.9–3.1mm long. A. serrata has a diploid chromosome count of 28.[2]
Phytochemistry
Aristotelia species contain several alkaloids.[6] Several other scientific compounds and enzymes have been discovered in A. serrata, including ethyl acetate and methanol.[4]
Gallery
A. serrata's grey bark
Close-up of the leaf with sharp serrations on the margins
A. serrata's red to black-coloured fruits
Flowers are found in inflorescences (clusters) and are white, pink or red in colour
The etymology of A. serrata's genus name, Aristotelia, is named after the Greek philosopher Aristotle.[10] The specific epithet (second part of the scientific name), serrata, means saw-toothed. The species is commonly known as wineberry, makomako, and mako.[2][11] The Māori name mako is shared with the name that some islands in the Pacific use for trees in the order Malvales.[12]
Aristotelia serrata's fruits are dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivores), such as birds.[13][2] Burrows (1995) recorded that A. serrata fruits were consumed by native silvereyes (Zosterops lateralis), kererū (Hemiphaga novaeseelandiae), and New Zealand bellbirds (Anthornis melanura). Several other birds, including the kākā (Nestor meridionalis) and tūī (Prosthemadera novaeseelandiae) have also been recorded feeding on the fruit.[12][14]
Aristotelia serrata plays host to the endemic moths Aenetus virescens and Declana floccosa, and also the beetle species Oemona hirta.[15][12] The leaves contain large amounts of phenols which make them especially attractive to introduced possums. The leaves are also freely eaten by cattle, deer, and goats.[12]
Aristotelia serrata is dioecious, meaning individual plants are either male or female. Pollination is likely achieved by birds and insects. The flowers do not have a scent and are about the same size in both sexes. Flowers of A. serrata change colours from a white-pink colour to a dark red colour, possibly to better adapt them for pollinators.[5] The nectar from the flowers is consumed by stitchbirds (Notiomystis cincta), and the pollen is consumed by native weevils.[12]
Distribution
Aristotelia serrata is endemic to New Zealand. It is a common species, A. serrata is found throughout the country, but is less common in drier areas.[2] Its range mainly covers the North, South, and Stewart Islands. The New Zealand botanist Thomas Kirk called it "one of the commonest plants in the colony" in his 1889 revision The Forest Flora of New Zealand.[16] Its 2023 conservation status in the New Zealand Threat Classification System was "Not Threatened".[2] Its assessment in the IUCN Red List in 2025 was "Least Concern", and its population trend was evaluated as "Unknown".[17]
Habitat
Aristotelia serrata is typically found in lowland to montane environments.[2] It reaches 1,050m (3,000ft) above sea level at maximum elevation.[12]A. serrata exhibits colonial characteristics, freely colonising disturbed sites, especially after forest clearance, fire, tree fall, and storm damage.[1][18]A. serrata is commonly found on fertile, well-drained soils of young terraces and alluvial fans, as well as on recently disturbed areas and older terraces.[19]
Uses
In Māori culture
Aristotelia serrata's fruits were eaten raw by the indigenous Māori people, especially by children.[20][12] The taste of the fruits varies from sweet to bitter, according to the botanist Andrew Crowe.[12] The fruits also produce a blue-black coloured dye.[11] The Māori were attracted to the medicinal properties of the plant, for example, the leaves and bark were boiled, and then the infusion produced was soaked to treat burns and sore eyes.[20][11] Other miscellaneous uses, include the wood used as handles for fishing nets and the sticks used in the Māori stick game known as poi rākau.[11]
In European culture
European settlers manufactured parts of the tree as a substitute for gunpowder. This practice was documented in the town of Owaka in the South Island.[21][12] The wood is white and straight-grained.[16] The timber was occasionally used by European settlers for cabinetmaking, marquetry, woodturning, fence-rails and other similar purposes.[16][12] European settlers named the tree wineberry because the fruits were used in the production of wine, and also jams and jellies.[12][20]
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