Atherosperma moschatum explained

Atherosperma moschatum, commonly known as black sassafras, Australian sassafras, southern sassafras, native sassafras or Tasmanian sassafras, is a flowering plant in the family Atherospermataceae. It is a shrub to conical tree and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It has densely hairy young branchlets, flowers and the lower surface of the leaves. Its leaves are lance-shaped to elliptic, sometimes with toothed edges, the flowers perfumed and white to cream, and the fruit is an achene.

Description

Atherosperma moschatum is a shrub to conical tree that typically grows to a height of 2 to 30 metres (7 to 100 feet). Its young branchlets, flowers and the lower surface of the leaves are usually densely hairy. Its leaves are nutmeg-scented when crushed, lance-shaped, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, or elliptic, long and wide on a petiole long. The upper surface of the leaves is glossy green and the edges are sometimes irregularly toothed.^{[1] [2] [3]}

The flowers are pleasantly perfumed with cream-coloured to white tepals, long and often streaked with purple. The receptacle is long and densely hairy. Flowering occurs from July to October, and the fruit is a densely hairy achene long.

Taxonomy

Atherosperma moschatum was first formally described in 1806 by French naturalist Jacques Labillardière in his Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen.^{[4] [5]} The generic name (Atherosperma) is derived from the Ancient Greek ather meaning "awn", and sperma meaning "seed", referring to the hairs on the fruit. The specific epithet moschatum is the Latin adjective meaning "musk-scented", from the smell of the bark. It is a member of the small family Atherospermataceae along with several other Australian rainforest trees including yellow sassafras (Doryphora sassafras)..^[6] Its closest relative is the monotypic genus Nemuaron, endemic to New Caledonia.^[7]

In 1855, Edmond Tulasne described Atherosperma integrifolium in the Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham.^{[8] [9]} In 2007, Richard Schodde reduced this species to a subspecies of Atherosperma moschatum in the Flora of Australia, and its name, and that of the autonym are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Atherosperma moschatum Labill. subsp. moschatum (the autonym)^[10] is a small to medium-sized tree that typically grows to a height of and has lance-shaped leaves, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, or sometimes elliptic, the edges usually toothed.^[11]
• Atherosperma moschatum subsp. integrifolium (A.Cunn. ex Tul.) Schodde^[12] is a slender shrub or small tree that typically grows to a height of and has mostly lance-shaped leaves with entire margins, sometimes toothed in juveniles.^[13]

Distribution and habitat

Black sassafras grows along streams in deep gullies at higher altitudes and occurs at Barrington Tops, in the upper Blue Mountains and Tia Gorge in New South Wales,^[14] in cool-temperate rainforest in eastern Victoria and eastern Tasmania. It often grows with Nothofagus cunninghamii and Elaeocarpus holopetalus.^[6] Subspecies integrifolium is restricted to cool-temperate rainforest in the Barrington Tops and Blue Mountains.

Ecology

The smooth-barked A. moschatum does not shed its bark annually, and is a rich host of lichen species. A field study in Errinundra National Park found a total of 54 lichen species present, with 11 species found on trees of all sizes measured. The most commonly recorded was Pannaria microphyllizans. These pockets of rainforest are thought to be critical refuges for populations of lichen species among fire-prone eucalyptus woodland.^[15]

Use in horticulture

It requires moisture and shade for cultivation, hence is not commonly seen cultivated.^[16]

It has been planted in the British Isles^[17] as far north as Northern Ireland^[18] and Scotland.^[19]

The leaves have a distinct scent and may be chewed to release a flavour and tingling sensation. However, the safety of the plants' consumption is not known and it may be poisonous.^{[20] [21]}

See also

• Sassafras, Tasmania, a small town in North West Tasmania named after the local growth of southern sassafras.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Foreman . Donald B. . Whiffin . Trevor J. . Atherosperma moschatum . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra . 18 May 2024.
2. Web site: Harden . Gwen J. . Atherosperma moschatum . Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney . 18 May 2024.
3. Web site: Messina . Andre . Stajsic . Val . Atherosperma moschatum subsp. moschatum . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 18 May 2024.
4. Web site: Atherosperma moschatum. APNI. 18 May 2024.
5. Book: Labillardière . Jacques . Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen . 1806 . Paris . 74–75 . 18 May 2024.
6. Book: Floyd, Alex G.. Rainforest Trees of Mainland Southeastern Australia. Terania Rainforest Publishing. Lismore, NSW. 2009. 83. 978-0-9589436-7-3.
7. Renner, S. S., D. B. Foreman, and D. Murray. (2000) Timing Transantarctic Disjunction in the Atherospermataceae (Laurales): Evidence from Coding and Non Coding Chloroplast Sequences. Systematic Biology 49: 579–91.
8. Web site: Atherosperma integrifolium. APNI. 18 May 2024.
9. Tulasne . Edmond . Monographia Monimiacearum primum tentata. . Archives du Museum d'Histoire Naturelle . 1855 . 8 . 421–422 . 18 May 2024.
10. Web site: Atherosperma moschatum subsp. moschatum . Australian Plant Census . 18 May 2024.
11. Web site: Foreman . Donald B. . Whiffin . Trevor J. . Atherosperma moschatum subsp. moschatum . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra . 18 May 2024.
12. Web site: Atherosperma moschatum subsp. integrifolium . Australian Plant Census . 18 May 2024.
13. Web site: Foreman . Donald B. . Whiffin . Trevor J. . Atherosperma moschatum subsp. 'integrifolium . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra . 14 August 2024.
14. Book: Fairley . Alan . Moore . Philip . Native Plants of the Sydney District - An Identification Guide . 1989 . Kangaroo Press . Kenthurst . 53.
15. Morley, Sharon E. . Gibson, Maria . Successional changes in epiphytic rainforest lichens: implications for the management of rainforest communities. The Lichenologist. 42. 3. 311–21 . 2010. 10.1017/S0024282909990570. 10536/DRO/DU:30035374 . free.
16. Book: Elliot . Rodger W. . Jones . David L. . Blake . Trevor . Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation: Vol. 2. 1985 . Lothian Press . Port Melbourne . 0-85091-143-5. 253.
17. Web site: Half-hardy trees in Britain and Ireland . Royal Horticultural Society . 2009-11-04 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100117153040/http://www.rhs.org.uk/RHSWebsite/files/10/10cddac3-b5d4-4d44-9b58-cc8bd9634b56.pdf . 2010-01-17 . [broken link]
18. Web site: Atherosperma moschatum . The Garden Flora of Northern Ireland. 2009-11-04.
19. Web site: Atherosperma moschatum in Scotland. Dendrological Plant Image Gallery. 2009-11-04.
20. Web site: Atherosperma moschatum Black Sassafras PFAF Plant Database . 2022-06-16 . pfaf.org.
21. Web site: HabitatPlants .