Atherosperma

Location & distribution maps

Phylogeny & links to associated information

Wikipedia links:       Angiosperms > Basal Angiosperms > Magnoliids  >  Laurales > Atherospermataceae > Atherosperma 

Other links:     

Plant  information

Common name:                Southern sassafras

• Also, Blackheart sassafras  

Conservation status:  unknown

Etymology:   

• Its generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek ather "awn", and sperma "seed", from the hairs on the fruit

• The specific epithet moschatum is the Latin adjective meaning "musk-scented", from the smell of the bark

Flowers:                  

• Flowers form in winter

• Facing down to avoid rain and snow

• White petalled, and yellow (and sometimes maroon) in the centre

Fruit:                         

• The fruit capsules mature and open around January, releasing feathery wind blown seeds

• Germination is unreliable

• However, abundant new seedlings may unexpectedly form

Leaves:         

• The leaves are 3 to 10 cm long and 8 to 25 mm wide

• Margins are coarsely toothed

• The northern population in Monga National Park, the Blue Mountains, Barrington Tops and at Mount Grundy has narrow, mostly entire leaves. Leaves, twigs, and flowers are fragrant, of a pleasant nutmeg scent

Stem & branches: 

• The bark is grey to light brown, with numerous lenticels, raised bumps and ridges

Roots:         

Habit:        

• A small to medium-sized evergreen tree, growing around 6 to 25 m tall

• However, in Tasmania, it can reach heights exceeding 40 m and a width of 1 m

• It can be identified by the conical shape, the pale green leaves, and fragrant scent

Habitat:   

• Cool temperate rainforests 

• It is found in the gullies and creek beds of high-altitude temperate rainforest

• Commonly associated with southern beeches of the genus Nothofagus, and mountain quandong (Elaeocarpus holopetalus)

Distribution:                  

• Native to Tasmania, Victoria, and NSW in Australia

• From the Tia River west of Port Macquarie on the NSW mid-north coast through Victoria and Tasmania

• It is common in the rainforests of Tasmania and Victoria, but more scattered and rare in the higher altitudes of eastern NSW

• The northernmost area is at Mount Grundy, west of Port Macquarie

Additional notes:     

• Taxonomy

  • The southern sassafras was first described by French naturalist Jacques Labillardière in 1806, and was the only member of the genus Atherosperma

  • A subspecies, A. m. subsp. integrifolium, has been considered a separate species

  • It is a member of the small family Atherospermataceae along with several other Australian rainforest trees including yellow sassafras (Doryphora sassafras)

  •  Its closest relative is the monotypic genus Nemuaron, endemic to New Caledonia

• Ecology

  • It does not shed its bark annually

  • It 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

• Cultivation and uses

  • The timber is in demand for panelling, turnery, musical instruments, and other specialty work, (carvings, dishes, and boxes for tourists

  • The staining of the black heartwood is caused by fungus, and makes the timber markings particularly attractive

  • The springy wood has been used for clothes pegs, and the scented bark is made into a beverage

  • It requires moisture and shade for cultivation, hence is not commonly seen cultivated

  • It has been planted in the British Isles as far north as Northern Ireland and Scotland

  • 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

Sources of information:

• (2023)