Drimys is a genus of woody evergreen flowering plants, part of family Winteraceae. The species of Drimys are native to the Neotropic, ranging from southern Mexico to the southern tip of South America. The Winteraceae are primitive dicots, associated with the humid temperate Antarctic flora of the southern hemisphere, which evolved millions of years ago on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana. Members of the family generally have aromatic bark and leaves, and some are used to extract essential oils.

Genus Drimys formerly included a number of species from Australasia, including Tasmanian Pepper (D. lanceolata). Recent botanical studies have led to a growing consensus of botanists to split the genus into two, with the Neotropical species remaining in genus Drimys, and the Australasian species classified in genus Tasmannia.

Winter's Bark (Drimys winteri), a slender tree native to the Magellanic and Valdivian temperate rain forests of Chile and Argentina, where it forms an dominant tree in the coastal evergreen forests. It is also grown as a garden plant for its handsome and fragrant mahogany-red bark and bright-green leaves, and its clusters of creamy white jasmine-scented flowers. D. andina is also native to Chile, and was until recently considered a subspecies of D. winteri. D. confertifolia is endemic to the Juan Fernández Islands 670 km off the Chilean coast, where they form a dominant tree in the tall lowland forests and lower montane forests of the islands. D. brasiliensis ranges from southern Brazil to southern Mexico.

Reference

• Doust, Andrew N. and Drinnan, Andrew N. Floral development and molecular phylogeny support the generic status of Tasmannia (Winteraceae) American Journal of Botany. 2004;91:321-331