About Melicytus alpinus (Kirk) Garn.-Jones
Melicytus alpinus, commonly called porcupine shrub, gets its common name from its long, almost leafless, spindly branches that resemble a porcupine's quills. This species is endemic to New Zealand. It is a hard, dense, slow-growing shrub. Its leaves are narrow, variable, leathery, and approximately 1 cm long. Leaf margins are usually smooth, though a small number of plants have serrated edges. Overall, the shrub produces very few leaves, and most of the leaves it does grow are sheltered between stiff interlacing stems. This leaf sheltering is an adaptation to the harsh environments it inhabits, leaving the plant looking almost leafless overall. In New Zealand, it can be found in coastal or dry alpine areas of the southern North Island and the entire South Island, and it is most common in the South Island high country, including heavily modified high country regions. It is highly adapted to extreme weather conditions such as drought. It flowers from spring to early summer, producing small white flowers that are insect pollinated. After pollination, the flowers develop into tasty, fragrant small white berries speckled with blue. These berries are eaten by many native New Zealand lizards, which disperse the shrub's seeds to continue its life cycle.
