Tasmannia is a genus of about 36 species of flowering plants in the family Winteraceae, and is native to Australia and New Guinea, with one species (Tasmannia piperita) also found in parts of Southeast Asia. Plants in the genus Tasmannia are shrubs or small trees, usually dioecious with simple leaves, mostly white, sometimes yellow flowers, and one to many clusters of berries.
Plants in the genus Tasmannia are shrubs or small trees that are usually dioecious, with simple, aromatic leaves arranged alternately along the branchlets, and have fine oil dots. There are no stipules. The flowers are usually white, sometimes yellow and arranged singly in the axils of bud scales, appearing like an umbel, later becoming like a whorl. The sepals are joined together, completely enclosing the flower bud, later splitting into lobes. The fruit is a berry arranged singly or in clusters of up to 6.[2][3][4]
The genus name, Tasmannia honours the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman.[2]
The taxonomic status of, and evolutionary relationship between Tasmannia and Drimys has been the subject of controversy for many years. A 2004 paper by Andrew Doust and Andrew Dinnan confirmed that the two genera do not form a monophyletic group, although they share distinctive similarities in their flowers.[7]
In Australia, the genus Tasmannia 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 mountain forests and in wet areas in the drier forest and along watercourses to an elevation of 1500 m (5000 ft).
^ ab"Tasmannia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
^ abGuymer, Gordon P. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Tasmannia". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^Raleigh, Ruth E.; Entwisle, Timothy J. "Tasmannia". Royal Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^Harden, Gwen J. "Genus Tasmannia". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^de Candolle, Augustin P. (1817). Regni vegetabilis systema naturale. Paris: sumptibus sociorum Treuttel et Würtz. pp. 440, 445. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
^Doust, Andrew N.L.; Drinnan, Andrew N. (2004). "Floral Development and Molecular Phylogeny support the Generic Status of Tasmannia (Winteraceae)". American Journal of Botany. 91 (3): 321–331.
^"Tasmannia". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
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 Encyclopedia of Australian Native Plants. Random House, Sydney, Australia.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Flora's native plants. ABC Books, Sydney, Australia.
