Tasmannia is a genus of woody, evergreen flowering plants of the family Winteraceae. The species of Tasmannia are native to Australia, New Guinea, Celebes, Borneo, and Philippines. The Winteraceae are palaeodicots, and are considered one of the most primitive flowering plants because of the floral anatomy and wood structure. They are 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. The peppery flavour is derived from an essential oil called polygodial. For other uses, see Genus (disambiguation). ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Genera Belliolum Bubbia Drimys Exospermum Pseudowintera Takhtajania Tasmannia Tetrathalamus Zygogynum The Winteraceae are a family of flowering plants belonging to the Antarctic flora. ... Map of Sulawesi pictures by Julianto Halim Sulawesi (or Celebes) is a large Indonesian island. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Kalimantan. ... Orders Amborellales Nymphaeales Austrobaileyales Chloranthales Magnoliids Magnoliales Laurales Piperales (incl. ... Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale Minke whale... An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds from plants. ...

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. species Drimys is a genus of woody evergreen flowering plants, part of family Winteraceae. ... The Neotropic ecozone is a terrestrial ecoregion which includes South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. ... Neotropical or Neotropic relates to a biogeographical region in the New World, bordered in the north by the dry areas in Mexico and the southern states of the USA. in the south by southern Patagonia. ... The Australasia Ecozone The Australasian ecozone – is an ecological region that is coincident, but not synonymous (by some definitions), with the geographic region of Australasia. ...

In Australia, the Tasmannia genus 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 metres. Slogan or Nickname: The Apple Isle; Holiday Isle Motto(s): Ubertas et Fidelitas (Fertility and Faithfulness) Other Australian states and territories Capital Hobart Government Constitutional monarchy Governor William Cox Premier Paul Lennon (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 5  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $16,114... “VIC” redirects here. ... “NSW” redirects here. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd...

Culinary Use

Tasmanian pepper or mountain pepper (T. lanceolata, often referred to as Drimys lanceolata or T. aromatica) was the original pepperbush used by colonial Australians. Introduced into cultivation in Cornwall, U.K., to become the 'Cornish pepperleaf' associated with Cornish cuisine. It is an attractive dioecious shrub which grows up to 10 m, but more typically 2-3 m in height in an open form, with lance-shaped dark green leaves and reddish stems.

Other Tasmannia species are also used as Australian spices, especially Tasmannia xerophila, alpine pepper, and Tasmannia stipitata, Dorrigo Pepper. Australian spices are traditionally used by Aboriginals, especially to flavour food in ground ovens. ... Binomial name (Vick. ...

List of Tasmannia species and notes:

• T. glaucifolia - Fragrant Pepperbush Reported to be high in polygodial but also contains high safrole levels which limits culinary use.

• T. insipida - Brush Pepperbush Native to the subtropics. Usually has little flavour in the leaf, hence the name. However, the seed has the distinctive pepper flavour.

• T. lanceolata - Mountain Pepperbush (Aus) or Cornish Pepperleaf (UK) The most commonly available commercial bush pepper. Safrole free cultivars are being developed.

• T. membranea – Pepper Tree Native to the highlands of north-eastern Queensland.

• T. piperita - Native to New Guinea.

• T. purpurascens - Broad Leaf Pepperbush. Contains high polygodial levels. 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. stipitata - Dorrigo Pepper. High polygodial levels and safrole free. Available commercially as a spice.

• T.xerophila, Alpine or Snow Pepper. Contains the essential oil isolate myristicin and reputed to have high levels of polygodial. Available commercially as a spice.

Safrole Safrole (chemical formula: C10H10O2, IUPAC name: 5-(2-propenyl)-1,3-benzodioxole), also called shikimol, is a colorless or slightly yellow oily liquid. ... Safrole Safrole (chemical formula: C10H10O2, IUPAC name: 5-(2-propenyl)-1,3-benzodioxole), also called shikimol, is a colorless or slightly yellow oily liquid. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... “NSW” redirects here. ... This article is about the plant genus. ... Binomial name Tasmannia stipitata (Vick. ... Chemical structure of myristicin Myristicin, 5-allyl-1-methoxy-2,3-methylenedioxybenzene, is a natural organic compound present in the essential oil of nutmeg and to a lesser extent in other spices such as parsley and dill. ...

See also

• Bushtucker

The word bushtucker is a combination of the Australian slang word bush, meaning wilderness, and tucker, meaning food. ...

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 purpurascens (Australian National Botanic Gardens)
• Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages: Tasmanian Pepper
• Australian Bushfood and Native Medicine Forum: Do we have a native pepper?
• Dieman Pepper: Plant information