Atherosperma | |
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Near Orbost, Victoria | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Magnoliids |
Order: | Laurales |
Family: | Atherospermataceae |
Genus: | Atherosperma Labill. |
Species: | A. moschatum |
Binomial name | |
Atherosperma moschatum | |
Subspecies | |
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Atherosperma moschatum, commonly known as black sassafras, Australian sassafras, southern sassafras, native sassafras or Tasmanian sassafras, is a flowering plant in the family Atherospermataceae and the only species in the genus Atherosperma. 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.
Atherosperma moschatum is a shrub to conical tree that typically grows to a height of 2–30 m (6 ft 7 in – 98 ft 5 in). 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, 30–95 mm (1.2–3.7 in) long and 8–23 mm (0.31–0.91 in) wide on a petiole 2–6 mm (0.08–0.24 in) long. The upper surface of the leaves is glossy green and the edges are sometimes irregularly toothed. [2] [3] [4]
The flowers are pleasantly perfumed with cream-coloured to white tepals 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long and often streaked with purple. The receptacle is 10–12 mm (0.39–0.47 in) long and densely hairy. Flowering occurs from July to October, and the fruit is a densely hairy achene 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long. [2] [3] [4]
Atherosperma moschatum was first formally described in 1806 by French naturalist Jacques Labillardière in his Novae Hollandiae Plantarum Specimen . [5] [6] 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 ). . [7] Its closest relative is the monotypic genus Nemuaron , endemic to New Caledonia. [8]
In 1855, Edmond Tulasne described Atherosperma integrifolium in the Archives du Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris from an unpublished description by Allan Cunningham. [9] [10] 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:
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, [3] [15] in cool-temperate rainforest in eastern Victoria and eastern Tasmania. It often grows with Nothofagus cunninghamii and Elaeocarpus holopetalus . [7] Subspecies integrifolium is restricted to cool-temperate rainforest in the Barrington Tops and Blue Mountains. [14]
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. [16]
It requires moisture and shade for cultivation, hence is not commonly seen cultivated. [17]
It has been planted in the British Isles [18] as far north as Northern Ireland [19] and Scotland. [20]
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. [21] [22]
The Atherospermataceae, commonly known as the southern sassafrases, are a family of broadleaf evergreen trees and shrubs. The family includes 14 species in seven genera. The atherosperms are today mostly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere, with two species native to southern Chile and 12 species native to Australasia. Wood is commercially harvested from rainforest species of this family, and is used both in construction and in fine cabinet making.
The Styx Valley is a valley located adjacent to the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area on the island of Tasmania, Australia. The Styx River is the main drainage system of the valley that lies about 100 kilometres (62 mi) northwest of Hobart, with the nearest town being Maydena.
Doryphora is a genus of 2 species of flowering plants in the family Atherospermataceae that are endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Doryphora are medium-sized to tall trees with glabrous, leathery, sometimes serrated leaves, and flowers usually arranged in groups of 3, each flower with both make and female parts, usually 4 or 6 tepals, 6 stamens and 6 to 12 carpels.
Doryphora sassafras, commonly known as sassafras, yellow sassafras, golden deal or golden sassafras, is a species of flowering plant in the Southern Sassafras Family Atherospermataceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub to tree with elliptic or egg-shaped leaves and contrasting white flowers which occur in autumn and winter.
Elaeocarpus holopetalus, commonly known as black olive berry, mountain blueberry, or mountain quandong, is species of flowering plant in the family Elaeocarpaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a shrub or small tree with regularly toothed, lance-shaped to egg-shaped leaves, racemes of white flowers and black, oval fruit.
Wilkiea hugeliana, commonly known as veiny wilkiea, common wilkiea or tetra beech, is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a tall shrub or small tree with egg-shaped, oblong to narrowly elliptic leaves, and male and female flowers on separate plants. Male flowers have 3 or 4 stamens and female flowers have 20 to 40 carpels, and the fruit is a blackish oval drupe with a yellow to orange receptacle.
Daphnandra johnsonii, also known as the Illawarra socketwood, is a rare rainforest tree in the Illawarra district of eastern Australia.
Wilkiea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Monimiaceae, and is native to Australia and New Guinea. Plants in this genus are monoecious or sometimes dioecious trees and shrubs, the leaves with many fine oil dots, male and female flowers in cymes or panicles, and oval black drupes.
Acronychia pubescens, commonly known as hairy acronychia or hairy aspen, is a species of tall shrub or small tree that is endemic to eastern Australia. It usually has trifoliate leaves, rarely simple leaves, groups of whitish flowers in leaf axils and creamy to yellowish, elliptical to spherical fruit.
Atherosperma moschatum subsp. integrifolium, commonly known as southern sassafras - narrow leaf or blackheart sassafras, is a flowering plant in the family Atherospermataceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is a slender shrub or small tree with mostly lance-shaped leaves, white flowers and the fruit an achene.
Persoonia myrtilloides, commonly known as myrtle geebung, is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to New South Wales. It is an erect to spreading shrub with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves and yellow flowers in groups of up to forty on a rachis up to 170 mm (6.7 in) long.
Pimelea ligustrina is a species of flowering plant in the family Thymelaeaceae, and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a shrub with lance-shaped or narrowly elliptic leaves arranged in opposite pairs, and clusters of creamy-white, white or pinkish flowers usually surrounded by 4 or 8, greenish to reddish brown involucral bracts.
Persoonia adenantha is a plant in the family Proteaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is an upright shrub or small tree with smooth, elliptic to lance-shaped leaves and groups of hairy yellow flowers. It has sometimes been confused with P. cornifolia and P. stradbrokensis.
Palmeria hypotephra is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae and is endemic to Queensland. It is a woody climber with elliptic to egg-shaped leaves, male and female flowers on separate plants with 4 or 5 tepals, male flowers with 30 to 35 stamens, female flowers with 10 to 12 carpels, and spherical, dark brown to black drupes.
Palmeria foremanii, commonly known as anchor vine, is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae and is endemic to an area near the New South Wales - Queensland border. It is a tall, woody climber or scrambling shrub with usually elliptic leaves, male and female flowers on separate plants with 5 tepals, male flowers with 40 to 43 stamens, female flowers with 7 to 12 carpels, and spherical, shiny black drupes.
Wilkiea austroqueenslandica, commonly known as smooth wilkiea or furry-flowered wilkiea, is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae, and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a spreading shrub or small tree with egg-shaped to elliptic leaves, male and female flowers on separate plants, male flowers with about 30 stamens, female flowers with about 35 carpels, and the fruit is a glossy, olive-black drupe with an orange fruiting receptacle.
Wilkiea cordata is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae, and is endemic to north-east Queensland. It is a shrub or small tree with oblong leaves, male and female flowers on separate plants, male flowers with stamens in 2 pairs, female flowers with about 25 carpels, and the fruit is an oval drupe with a yellow receptacle with an orange tinge.
Palmeria racemosa is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a woody vine with elliptic to oblong leaves and male and female flowers borne on separate plants, male flowers usually with thirty to forty stamens and female flowers with about ten carpels. The fruit is green, splitting to form a pinkish receptacle with 3 to 7 black or red drupes.
Wilkiea hugeliana is a species of flowering plant in the family Monimiaceae, and is endemic to Cape York Peninsula in far northern Queensland. It is a shrub or small tree with elliptic, sometimes toothed leaves, and male and female flowers on separate plants. Male flowers usually have 4 pairs of stamens and female flowers have about 40 carpels, and the fruit is a glossy black drupe with enlarged orange receptacles.
Doryphora aromatica, commonly known as sassafras, northern sassafras, northern grey sassafras, net sassafras or grey sassafras, is a species of flowering plant in the Southern Sassafras Family Atherospermataceae and is endemic to north-east Queensland. It is a tree with elliptic or egg-shaped leaves with the narrower end towards the base, white flowers with 5 stamens and 6 to 8 carpels, and achenes splitting to release feather-like fruits.