Tasmannia vickeryana, commonly known as Baw Baw pepper,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Winteraceae and is endemic to Victoria in Australia. It has narrowly lance-shaped leaves, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, and male and female flowers on separate plants, the male flowers with 8 to 26 stamens and the female flowers with up to 5 carpels. The fruit is dark red and contains 2 to 5 seeds.

Tasmannia vickeryana
Male flowers on Mount St Gwinear
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Canellales
Family: Winteraceae
Genus: Tasmannia
Species:
T. vickeryana
Binomial name
Tasmannia vickeryana
(A.C.Sm.) A.C.Sm.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Drimys aromatica var. alpina P.Parm. nom. inval., nom. nud.
  • Drimys lanceolata var. parvifolia Vickery
  • Drimys vickeryana A.C.Sm.
  • Drimys xerophila var. alpina F.Muell. ex P.Parm.

Description

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Tasmannia vickeryana is a shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5–1.2 m (1 ft 8 in – 3 ft 11 in) and has reddish-brown branchlets. Its leaves are lance-shaped, sometimes with the narrower end towards the base, 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) long and 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) wide, on a petiole 1.5–3.5 mm (0.059–0.138 in) long. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants and usually have 2 egg-shaped to oblong petals 2.5–3.0 mm (0.098–0.118 in) long and about 1 mm (0.039 in) wide. Male flowers are borne on a pedicel 3–8 mm (0.12–0.31 in) long and have 8 to 26 stamens, and female flowers are on a pedicel 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long with up to 6 carpels with 3 to 6 ovules. Flowering occurs in December and January and the fruit is a spherical to oval, dark red berry 6–12 mm (0.24–0.47 in) long with 2 to 5 seeds 2.3–3.0 mm (0.091–0.118 in) long.[2][3][4]

Taxonomy

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This species was first described in 1943 by Albert Charles Smith who gave it the name Drimys vickeryana in the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum.[5][6] In 1969, Smith transferred the species to Tasmannia as T. vickeryana in the journal Taxon.[7]

Distribution and habitat

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Baw Baw pepper grows in snow gum woodland in the Baw Baw Range at altitudes between 1,300 and 1,500 m (4,300 and 4,900 ft).[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Tasmannia vickeryana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Raleigh, Ruth E.; Entwisle, Timothy J. "Tasmannia vickeryana". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b Guymer, Gordon P. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Tasmannia vickeryana". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  4. ^ Raleigh, Ruth A.; Ladiges, Pauline Y.; Entwisle, Timothy J.; Drinnan, Andrew N. (1994). "Morphometric studies in the genus Tasmannia (Winteraceae) in Victoria, Australia". Muelleria. 8 (2): 255. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Drimys vickeryana". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI). Retrieved 16 May 2024.
  6. ^ Smith, Albert Charles (1943). "Taxonomic notes on the old World species of Winteraceae". Journal of the Arnold Arboretum. 24 (2): 130–131. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Drimys vickeryana". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI. Retrieved 19 May 2024.