The phenology and potential ecological associations of Magenta Lilly Pilly (Syzygium paniculatum Gaertn) a native vulnerable Australian tree growing in Bogotá, Colombia

ABSTRACT

Magenta Lilly Pilly tree (Syzygium paniculatum Gaertn) has been introduced and extensively planted throughout the city of Bogotá, Colombia. This species is considered threatened or vulnerable in Australia. This paper describes seven principal BBCH stages, namely, bud development, leaf development, shoot development, flower emergence, flowering, fruit development and maturity of fruit and seed. Trees produced flowers, fruits, vegetative flushes and resting buds in about 20% of the canopy throughout the year. About 40% to 50% of the canopy showed two mass flowering and fruiting events yearly. Magenta trees provided important ecosystem services such as pollination, perching sites, and food for birds. Magenta offers a constant supply of nectar and pollen for bees from the urban forest. Honeybees were the only insects observed visiting the fully open flowers (BBCH 67). The constant production of fruits and two mass annual fruiting events are important ecosystem service. The Great Thrush (Turdus fuscater), a native bird, fed on the ripe fruit (BBCH 89). The BBCH scale is key to study ecological associations and also the benefits the trees deliver to the urban forest.

KEYWORDS:

• BBCH scale
• pollination
• fruits
• conservation
• urban landscape

Acknowledgments

Thanks to L. Marien for her valuable help.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

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Notes on contributors

Fernando Ramírez

Fernando Ramírez was born on 15.08.1979 in Bogotá, Colombia. He holds a BSc in Biology (2004) and MSc in Biological Sciences (2009) from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia. His MSc research focused on mango flowering in the tropics. His research interests include tropical tree reproductive physiology and the influence of climate change on tree pollination. He currently works as an independent researcher.

Jose Kallarackal

Jose Kallarackal, born on 28.04.1949 in Kerala, India is a Ph.D. degree holder from the University of Delhi, India. He specialized in ecophysiology and plant physiology and worked as scientist in different institutions in India, Australia and Germany. His special fields of interest are water relations, climate change and phenology in relation to tree species. He is currently a consultant scientist.