Rahul Sharma (Editor)

Pseudowintera

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Kingdom
  
Plantae

Family
  
Winteraceae

Rank
  
Genus

Order
  
Canellales

Higher classification
  
Winteraceae

Pseudowintera wwwkauriparknurseriesconzwpcontentuploads20

Similar
  
Pseudowintera colorata, Winteraceae, Pseudowintera axillaris, Drimys, Pseudopanax

Pseudowintera garden plants


Pseudowintera is a genus of woody evergreen flowering trees and shrubs, part of family Winteraceae. The species of Pseudowintera are native to New Zealand. Winteraceae are magnoliids, associated with the humid Antarctic flora of the southern hemisphere. Horopito can be chewed for a hot, peppery taste.

Contents

Pseudowintera Pseudowintera Colorata from Burncoose Nurseries

  • Pseudowintera axillaris, is known as the lowland horopito. It is a shrub or small tree growing up to eight metres tall in lowland and lower montane forests from 35° to 42° South. On the South Island it grows West of the Main Divide.
  • Pseudowintera colorata, or mountain horopito, is an evergreen shrub or small tree (1–2.5 m) commonly called pepperwood because its leaves have a very hot bite. Its yellow and green leaves are blotched with red; new leaves in the spring are bright red. It is widespread throughout New Zealand, from lowland forests to higher montane forests, and from 36° 30' South as far southwards as Stewart Island/Rakiura. Because of its various uses, both medicinal and culinary, the name horopito when used in common speech normally refers to the colorata species.
  • Pseudowintera traversii, is a compact shrub up to one metre tall. It grows naturally only in the northwest corner of the South Island, from Collingwood to Westport.

    • Pseudowintera Pseudowintera colorata

    Cultivation

    Pseudowintera Pseudowintera Wikipedia

    Horopito spreads naturally through regrowth on cleared land but may often be found in domestic gardens as a decorative plant. Planting for commercial purposes has begun in recent years.

    Pharmaceutical use

    Pseudowintera Hebe Society NZ Plants P Pseudowintera colorata

    Horopito contains a substance called sesquiterpene dialdehyde polygodiali, otherwise known as polygodial that has a number of biological properties including antifungal, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and insecticide effects. Polygodial has been tested as a very effective inhibitor of Candida albicans. Horopito was used traditionally by Maori for a variety of medicinal purposes including treatment of: fungal skin infection, stomach pain, diarrhoea and as an analgesic. Early European settlers to New Zealand also used horopito for medicinal purposes.

    Culinary use

    Pseudowintera PSEUDOWINTERA colorata New Zealand Easy Big Trees

    Horopito leaves are used in cooking in a variety of ways. Horopito is now being used as a seasoning in modern New Zealand cuisine. Typically the leaves are dried and then ground to form a powder. The powder may be used wherever black pepper is used and applied directly to meats, mixed with oils, used to make condiments (e.g. with mustard), in vinegars, biscuits and even ice-cream.

    Pseudowintera BlueBell Nursery BlueBell Nursery Trees amp Shrubs Pseudowintera

    References

    Pseudowintera Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA