| MadSci Network: Botany |
There seems to be a lot of info on this tree on the internet. There is even a charitable trust called Project Crimson that tries to protect it. Project Crimson has an extensive online bibliography for Pohutukawa tree. The scientific name of the Pohutukawa tree is Metrosideros excelsus or M. excelsa. Metrosideros excelsus is an angiosperm so produces flowers and seeds. The basic life cycle of an angiosperm can be found in botany and biology textbooks, and involves flowers, pollination, fertilization, embryo sac development, seed and fruit development, fruit/seed dispersal, seed germination, etc. You need to fill in the specific details for Metrosideros excelsus, such as method of pollination, how fruits/seeds are dispersed, conditions for germination, etc. The last website below has a lot of the details. Also try google.com to locate more sites on Metrosideros excelsus. Metrosideros excelsus is also a popular tree in warm climates in the United States such as California and Florida. Although endangered in parts of its native New Zealand, in parts of South Africa it has apparently become an invasive tree. References New Zealand Christmas Tree Metrosideros excelsus New Zealand Christmas Tree Project Crimson Pohutukawa tree bibliography Angiosperm Life Cycle Variegated New Zealand Christmas Tree Metrosideros excelsa takes off in the South African fynbos An Unpopular Export Reproductive Biology of Pohutukawa (Metrosideros excelsa) (Myrtaceae)
Try the links in the MadSci Library for more information on Botany.