Tasmannia glaucifolia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Tasmannia glaucifolia | |
|---|---|
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| Female flowers | |
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| Male flowers | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Canellales |
| Family: | Winteraceae |
| Genus: | Tasmannia |
| Species: | T. glaucifolia |
| Binomial name | |
| Tasmannia glaucifolia | |
Tasmannia glaucifolia, commonly known as fragrant pepperbush,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Winteraceae, and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a dioecious shrub with lance-shaped leaves, the narrower end towards the base, the flowers usually without petals, male and female flowers on separate plants and the fruit is a glossy, deep purple-black berry.
Tasmannia glaucifolia is a bushy, spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 2–3 m (6 ft 7 in – 9 ft 10 in) and has glossy purple branches. The leaves are lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, 40–60 mm (1.6–2.4 in) long and 4–15 mm (0.16–0.59 in) wide, the lower surface glaucous, densely pimply and the leaves have a peppery smell when crushed. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, and the plants also reproduce by root suckers. The flowers usually lack petals, male flowers on a pedicel 7–22 mm (0.28–0.87 in) long with 8 to 24 stamens, female flowers on a pedicel 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in) long with 1 or 2 carpels and 4 to 13 ovules. Flowering occurs in November and December and the fruit is a spherical to oval, deep purple-black berry about 5 mm (0.20 in) in diameter with up to 4 seeds 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long.[2][3][4]
Taxonomy
Tasmannia glaucifolia was first formally described in 1988 by John Beaumont Williams in the Australian Journal of Botany, from specimens he collected near Point Lookout in 1979.[5] The specific epithet (glaucifolia) means "bluish-gey or bluish-green".[6]