Tasmannia membranea, commonly known as pepper tree,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Winteraceae, and is endemic to north-eastern Queensland. It is a shrub or tree with lance-shaped or egg-shaped leaves, male and female flowers on separate plants, with two petals on each flower. The male flowers have 30 to 62 stamens, and the female flowers have a single carpel with 14 to 36 ovules, and the fruit is black.
Tasmannia membranea is a shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of and has striated, reddish branchlets. Its leaves are egg-shaped with the narrower end toward the base or lance-shaped, long and wide on a petiole long. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, each flower with 2 petals. Male flowers are borne on a pedicel long and have 30–62 stamens. Female flowers are on a pedicel long with a single sessile carpel containing 14 to 36 ovules. Flowering occurs from June to October and the fruit is black, spherical or oval, long with 4 to 7, slightly curved seeds long.[2]
This species was first formally described in 1866 by Ferdinand von Mueller, who gave it the name Drimys membranea in his Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae from specimens collected by John Dallachy.[3] [4] In 1969, Albert Charles Smith transferred the species to Tasmannia as T. membranea in journal Taxon.[5]
Tasmannia membranea grows in the understorey of rainforest at altitudes between from near Rossville to Paluma in north-eastern Queensland.
This species of Tasmannia is listed as of "least concern" by the Queensland Government, Department of Education and Science.[6]