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Tasmannia is a genus of woody, evergreen flowering plants of the family Winteraceae. The species of Tasmannia are native Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand. The Winteraceae are palaeodicots, associated with the humid Antarctic flora of the southern hemisphere. The members of the family generally have aromatic bark and leaves, and some are used to extract essential oils. The peppery-flavored fruits and leaves (esp. dried) of this genus are increasingly used as a condiment in Australia and New Zealand.
Overview
The species of Tasmannia were formerly classified in genus Drimys, a related group of Winteraceae native to the Neotropic. Recent studies have led to an increasing consensus among botanists to split the genus into two, with the Neotropical species remaining in genus Drimys, and the Australasian species classified in genus Tasmannia.
Tasmanian pepper or mountain pepper (T. lanceolata, often referred to as Drimys lanceolata or T. aromatica, and not to be confused with related pepperbushes such as T. stipitata or T. inspida) is an attractive dioecious shrub which grows to 3 meters in height in an open form, with lance-shaped dark green leaves and reddish stems. It ranges from Tasmania and eastern Victoria and New South Wales to southeastern Queensland, and in the mountains of northeastern Queensland, where it grows in moist subtropical forests and in wet areas in the drier forest and along watercourses to an elevation of 1500 metres.
T. axillaris, also commonly referred to as Drimys axillaris, is an aromatic tree native to New Zealand, where it is known as the pepper tree.
T. purpurascens (common name Broad Leaf Pepperbush) is a shrub or small tree, 1-3 m high and 1.5 m wide, endemic to the Gloucester Tops and Barrington Tops in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, where it grows abundantly in moist Eucalyptus forest above 1300 meters elevation.
T. piperita is native to New Guinea.
T. glaucifolia (common name Fragrant Pepperbush) and T.xerophila (common name Alpine Pepper) contain the chemical myristicin, and T.glaucifolia is also known to contain other related compounds like safrole.
A list of pepperbushes and their common names, with some culinary comments:
- T. glaucifolia - Fragrant Pepperbush. Possibly the hottest of all the Tasmannias (as a spice).
- T. insipida - Brush Pepperbush. Apparently has little flavour, hence the name.
- T. lanceolata - Mountain Pepperbush. One of the most common bush peppers sold commercially.
- T. membranea – Pepper Tree.
- T. purpurescens - Broad Leaf Pepperbush.
- T. stipitata - Dorrigo Pepper. The other most common bush pepper sold commercially.
- T. xerophilia - Alpine or Snow Pepper. Apparently hotter than lanceolata.
See also
References
- Doust, Andrew N. and Drinnan, Andrew N., 2004. Floral development and molecular phylogeny support the generic status of Tasmannia (Winteraceae). American Journal of Botany 91: 321–331.
- Sampson, F.B., Williams, J.B. and Woodland, Poh S., The Morphology and Taxonomic Position of Tasmannia glaucifolia (Winteraceae), 1988. A New Australian Species. Australian Journal of Botany 36 (4): 395–414.
- Smith, Keith and Irene. 1999. Grow your own bushfoods. New Holland Publishers, Sydney, Australia.
- Robins, Juleigh. 1996. Wild Lime: Cooking from the bushfood garden. Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia.
- Bryant, Geoff. 2005. The Random House Enyclopedia of Australian Native Plants. Random House, Sydney, Australia.
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Flora's native plants. ABC Books, Sydney, Australia.
- Low, Tim. 1991. Wild food plants of Australia. Angus & Robertson Publishers, Sydney, Australia.
External links
"Tasmannia"