Drimys

Location & distribution maps

Plant  information

Common name:         . . .

Conservation status: . . .

Etymology:   

Flowers

Fruit:                            

Leaves:         

Stem & branches: 

Roots:         

Habit:        

• Drimys is a genus of seven species of woody evergreen flowering plants, in the family Winteraceae

Habitat:   

Distribution:                  

• Native to the Neotropics, ranging from southern Mexico to the southern tip of South America

Additional notes:     

• They are primitive dicots, associated with the humid temperate Antarctic flora of the Southern Hemisphere

• They evolved millions of years ago on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana

• Members of the family generally have aromatic bark and leaves, and some are used to extract essential oils

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• Seven species are currently accepted

  • Drimys andina (Reiche) R.A.Rodr. & Quez. (syn. D. winteri var. andina) - southern and central Chile and adjacent Argentina

  • Drimys angustifolia Miers - southern Brazil

  • Drimys brasiliensis Miers - eastern and southern Brazil, northeastern Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia

  • Drimys confertifolia Phil. - Juan Fernández Islands

  • Drimys granadensis L.f. - southern Mexico south to Peru

  • Drimys roraimensis (A.C.Sm.) Ehrend., Silberb.-Gottsb. & Gottsb. - southern Venezuela and northern Brazil, possibly western Guyana

  • Drimys winteri J.R.Forst. & G.Forst. - southern and central Chile, southwestern Argentina

  • D. confertifolia is endemic to the Juan Fernández Islands, 670 km off the Chilean coast, where it forms a dominant tree in the tall lowland forests and lower montane forests of the islands.

• The genus formerly included a number of species from Australasia, including Tasmanian pepper (D. lanceolata)

• Recent botanical studies have led to a growing consensus of botanists to split the genus into two, with the Neotropical species remaining in genus Drimys, and the Australasian species classified in genus Tasmannia

Sources of information:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drimys   (2024)