Tasmannia

plant genus

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July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

The genus Tasmannia belongs to the family Winteraceae within the order Canellales. This order is part of the magnoliids clade, an early branch of flowering plants. Tasmannia is primarily found in the Southern Hemisphere, with species distributed from the Philippines to Australia, and its greatest diversity is in New Guinea.1

These plants are evergreen trees and shrubs adapted to damp, shady environments. Their leaves have a peppery taste, which deters browsing animals. While most members of the Winteraceae family have limited economic importance, some species, like Drimys winteri (which includes Tasmannia), have been cultivated for their ornamental value and historically used for medicinal purposes as a tonic and scurvy preventative.1

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Canellales
Distribution and abundance
…of Drimys into the genus Tasmannia (with about 40 species), which extends from the Philippines to Australia (including Tasmania) and reaches its greatest diversity in New Guinea. The circumscription of Zygogynum has led to the recognition of 3 additional genera, including Exospermum (restricted to New Caledonia), Bubbia (from the Moluccas…
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…of Drimys into the genus Tasmannia (with about 40 species), which extends from the Philippines to Australia (including Tasmania) and reaches its greatest diversity in New Guinea. The circumscription of Zygogynum has led to the recognition of 3 additional genera, including Exospermum (restricted to New Caledonia), Bubbia (from the Moluccas…
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magnoliid clade
Reproductive structures
…other Winteraceae, most species of Tasmannia have unisexual flowers. The flowers indicate their bisexual origins by the presence of sterile carpels in the centre of the male flowers. In the magnoliids, as in early fossil flowers, the number and arrangement of floral parts varies. In other subclasses these characteristics are…
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…other Winteraceae, most species of Tasmannia have unisexual flowers. The flowers indicate their bisexual origins by the presence of sterile carpels in the centre of the male flowers. In the magnoliids, as in early fossil flowers, the number and arrangement of floral parts varies. In other subclasses these characteristics are…
Read More