Tasmannia xerophila explained

Tasmannia xerophila, commonly known as alpine pepperbush,^[1] is a species of flowering plant in the family Winteraceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a bushy shrub to small tree with lance-shaped leaves, the narrower end towards the base. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, the male flowers with 9 to 30 stamens and the female flowers with up to 8 carpels. The fruit is glossy black and contains 2 to 7 seeds.

Description

Tasmannia xerophila is a bushy shrub to small tree that typically grows to a height of and usually forms clumps, the branchlets reddish-brown. The leaves are leathery, lance-shaped to narrowly so, with the narrower end towards the base, mostly long and wide on a petiole long. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, male flowers on a pedicel long with 9 to 30 stamens. Female flowers are borne on a pedicel long and usually have 2 petals long and wide, and up to 8 carpels with 2 to 9 ovules. Flowering occurs from December to February and the fruit is glossy black to glaucous, long, containing 2 to 7 seeds long and wide.^{[2] [3]}

Taxonomy

This species was first formally described by Paul Évariste Parmentier, who gave it the name Drimys xerophila in Bulletin Scientifique de la France et de la Belgique,^[4] but the name was illegitimate.^[5] In 1976, Max Gray transferred the species to Tasmannia and legitimised the name T. zerophila in Contributions from the Herbarium Australiense.^[6]

In 1994, Ruth E. Raleigh and others described subspecies robusta, and the name, and that of the autonym are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:^[7]

• Tasmannia xerophila subsp. robusta Raleigh^[8] commonly known as Errinundra pepper, is a shrub to small tree up to high with leaves long and wide on a petiole long, and female flowers with up to 8 carpels containing 3 to 7 ovules per carpel.^{[9] [10]}
• Tasmannia xerophila M.Gray subsp. xerophila^[11] commonly known as alpine pepper is a shrub up to high with leaves long and wide on a petiole long, and female flowers with usually up to 6 carpels containing 2 to 9 ovules per carpel.^{[12] [13]}

Distribution and habitat

Subspecies robusta grows in tall, open forest on Mount Ellery and Goonmirk Rocks in East Gippsland, Victoria. Subspecies xerophila has a wider distribution in open forest, woodland or subalpine grassland from the central highland of southern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory to the eastern parts of the Great Dividing Range in Victoria, where it often grows in snow gum woodland.

External Links

• Web site: Tasmannia xerophila M.Gray — Alpine Pepper . Atlas of Living Australia .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Harden . Gwen J. . Tasmannia xerophila . Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney . 20 May 2024.
2. Web site: Guymer . Gorden P. . Kodela . Phillip G. . Tasmannia xerophila . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra . 20 May 2024.
3. Web site: Raleigh . Ruth E. . Entwisle . Timothy J. . Tasmannia xerophila . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 21 May 2024.
4. Parmentier . Paul E. . Histoire des Magnoliacees. . Bulletin Scientifique de la France et de la Belgique . 1896 . 27 . 226–299 . 21 May 2024.
5. Web site: Drimys xerophila . Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) . 20 May 2024.
6. Web site: Tasmannia xerophila . Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) . 20 May 2024.
7. Raleigh . Ruth E. . Ladiges . Pauline Y. . Entwisle . Timothy J. . Drinnan . Andrew N. . Morphometric studies in the genus Tasmannia (Winteraceae) in Victoria, Australia. . Muelleria . 1994 . 8 . 2 . 254–255 . 21 May 2024.
8. Web site: Tasmannia xerophylla subsp. robusta . Australian Plant Census . 20 May 2024.
9. Web site: Guymer . Gorden P. . Kodela . Phillip G. . Tasmannia xerophila subsp. robusta . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra . 20 May 2024.
10. Web site: Raleigh . Ruth E. . Entwisle . Timothy J. . Tasmannia xerophila subsp. robusta . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 21 May 2024.
11. Web site: Tasmannia xerophylla subsp. xerophila . Australian Plant Census . 20 May 2024.
12. Web site: Guymer . Gorden P. . Kodela . Phillip G. . Tasmannia xerophila subsp. xerophila . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra . 20 May 2024.
13. Web site: Raleigh . Ruth E. . Entwisle . Timothy J. . Tasmannia xerophila subsp. xerophila . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 21 May 2024.