Spit it out: Monkeys disperse the unorthodox and toxic seeds of Clivia miniata (Amaryllidaceae)

Seeds of many Amaryllidaceae are unorthodox (recalcitrant) and toxic, and cannot survive ingestion, yet are packaged in brightly colored fruits suggestive of zoochory. Seed dispersal and germination of the understory amaryllid, Clivia miniata, were investigated in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Motion-activated cameras revealed that samango monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis labiatus) are the primary disperser of C. miniata seeds. They eat the mesocarp and, to a lesser extent, the exocarp, and spit the large (13 mm diameter) seeds whole and cleaned onto the forest floor. Most seeds were dispersed farther than 1 m from the parent. Experimental removal of the fruit pulp had a small positive effect on the rate of seed germination, but did not affect subsequent seedling growth rates. The main advantages of monkey dispersal of Clivia seeds appear to be short-distance dispersal away from the dense foliage of clumped parent plants and occasional long-distance dispersal through cheek-pouching behavior.