Atherospermataceae
| Atherospermataceae | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Atherosperma moschatum subsp. integrifolium | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Magnoliids |
| Order: | Laurales |
| Family: |
Atherospermataceae R.Br. |
| Genera | |
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.
These trees and shrubs are characteristic of the lower strata of the tropical rainforest, except Dryadodaphne species, which belong to the rainforest high canopy. The glands at the base of the stamens secrete nectar in Laurelia novae-zelandiae, which accumulates at the base of the flower and attracts bees, coleopterans and Bombyliidae. The seed, in the form of a feathery achene, is dispersed by wind (anemochory).
The wood of Laurelia has local interest for construction, particularly the Chilean Laurelia sempervirens, despite its lack of resistance to moisture. Essential oils extracted from the leaves and bark of species of Doryphora have application in perfumery and pharmaceuticals.
The Atherospermataceae have in the past been treated as a subfamily (Atherospermatoideae) of the Monimiaceae. Recent reassessment of both morphological and molecular characters, however, show them to be more clearly related to the Gomortegaceae and Siparunaceae. The Angiosperm Phylogeny Website considers them to be a family of their own (as the Atherospermataceae), and together with the Gomortegaceae and Siparunaceae form a distinct branch of the Laurales.
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Wikipedia