Titoki

A handsome shiny-leaved tree found in coastal and lowland forest in the North Island and to the middle of the South Island.

Flowering is in spring and the fruit takes up to a year to mature, forming a furry woody capsule.  When ripe the capsule splits open revealing a shiny black seed partly enclosed by a convoluted bright red aril (fleshy covering) which resembles a cock’s comb.  Alectryon means rooster in Greek.  This provides food for native pigeons and other birds. 

Maori extracted an oil from pounded titoki seeds. This was often scented with crushed leaves of manuka or kawakawa and applied to the body or used to gloss the hair.

Titoki belongs in the soap berry family (Sapindaceae) which includes the fruit tree lychee (Litchi chinensis) from Southern China.

Photography by Neil Davies (leaves, right) © and Warren Brewer © (flowers below left, fruit below right).