list of figures - Terry Sunderland

the genus Ceratogymna have been recorded to swallow whole seeds of Eremospatha
macrocarpa and Laccosperma secundiflorum, without causing damage to the seed
itself 9 (Whitney et al., 1998), although subsequent germination tests revealed a
slightly deleterious effect on germination rates (ibid.). This ingestion and subsequent
range movements suggests that dispersal of the seeds occurs for relatively long
distances. The importance of flowering behaviour and seed dispersal is also discussed
in Chapter 5.
Table 12. Summary of recorded herbivory and dispersal of African rattans (from personal
observations and literature cited above).
Rattan species Plant part eaten Herbvivore / disperser
Eremospatha cabrae Leaflets
Fruit / seed
Palm heart
E. haullevilleana Leaflets
Palm heart
201
Gorilla
Gorilla, chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Gorilla
Gorilla, chimpanzee, bonobo
E. hookeri Palm heart Gorilla, chimpanzee
E. macrocarpa Fruit / seed Hornbill, drill, mandrill
E. wendlandiana Fruit / seed Hornbill, drill
Laccosperma
Fruit
Gorilla, chimpanzee, hornbill
secundiflorum Palm heart
Elephant, bonobo
L. robustum Fruit / seed
Gorilla, chimpanzee, mandrill, hornbill
Palm heart
Elephant, chimpanzee, bonobo
L. opacum Fruit / seed
Gorilla, chimpanzee, hornbill
Palm heart
Elephant, gorilla, chimpanzee
Oncocalamus mannii Fruit / seed
Mandrill
Palm heart
Spear borer
O. tuleyi Fruit / seed Drill
Calamus deërratus Palm heart Gorilla, chimpanzee
4.4 SEED PREDATION AND CACHING
The fallen fruits of Laccosperma are often predated upon by rodents, particularly
brush-tailed porcupines (Atherurus africanus). The relatively small size of the seeds of
most members of this genus makes them ideal for rodent consumption. The tendency
for these terrestrial frugivores to cache seeds for later consumption can occasionally
provide the opportunity for some of the seeds to germinate if they are left for long
enough in the conditions most appropriate for germination. In this regard, it is
common to find large numbers of seedlings of Laccosperma germinating very closely
together in cached groupings. However, these caches are never far from the parent
individual.