Editing Pseudowintera

{{Short description|Genus of trees}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=July 2024}}
{{Automatic taxobox
|image = Pseudowinteracolorata.jpg
|image_caption = ''[[Pseudowintera colorata]]''
|taxon = Pseudowintera
|authority = [[James Edgar Dandy|Dandy]]
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = 
*''[[Pseudowintera axillaris]]''
*''[[Pseudowintera colorata]]''
*''[[Pseudowintera insperata]]'' <small>[[P.B. Heenan|Heenan]] & [[P.J. de Lange|de Lange]] 2006</small><ref name="Heenan">{{cite journal|last1=Heenan|first1=P. B.|last2=de Lange|first2=P. J.|title=''Pseudowintera insperata'' (Winteraceae), an overlooked and rare new species from northern New Zealand|journal=New Zealand Journal of Botany|date=2006|volume=44|issue=1|pages=89–98|doi=10.1080/0028825X.2006.9513008|bibcode=2006NZJB...44...89H |s2cid=84044658|language=English|issn=1175-8643}}</ref>
*''[[Pseudowintera traversii]]''
}}

'''''Pseudowintera''''', commonly known as '''horopito''', is a [[genus]] of woody [[evergreen]] [[flowering plant|flowering]] [[tree]]s and [[shrub]]s, 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/shrubs-and-small-trees-of-the-forest/12|title=The Encyclopedia of New Zealand: Pepper trees: horopito and kawakawa}}</ref>

==Species==

*''[[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. In 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 insperata]]'', a rare species first identified in 2006,<ref name="Heenan"/> found in the [[Northland Region]].<ref name="MeaningTrees">{{cite Q|Q118646408|pp=28-31}}</ref> 
*''[[Pseudowintera traversii]]'', or '''Travers horopito''',<ref name="BIOL226C">{{cite web|last1=Gemmill|first1=Chrissen|last2=Clarkson|first2=Bruce|last3=Green|first3=Allan|last4=Beard|first4=Catherine|last5=Burns|first5=Bruce|last6=Holzapfel|first6=Avi|last7=Hicks|first7=Brendan|title=Winteraceae|url=http://cber.bio.waikato.ac.nz/courses/226/Winteraceae/Winteraceae.html|website=BIOL226C Flora of New Zealand|publisher=University of Waikato|accessdate=6 February 2018|location=Hamilton, New Zealand|language=English|date=1 March 2006|quote=''Pseudowintera traversii'' (Travers horopito) Compactly branched shrub up to 2m tall. Leaves are 2-2.5cm long, ovate-oblong, very thick and coriaceous, dull green above, bluish-green below. Flowers solitary or in pairs. Found only in N.W. Nelson growing on montane forest margins and scrub. Foliage of ''Pseudowintera traversii'', note that the leaves are small and the branching is quite dense}}</ref> is a compact shrub up to one metre tall. It grows naturally only in the northwest corner of the South Island, from [[Collingwood, New Zealand|Collingwood]] to [[Westport, New Zealand|Westport]].

==Cultivation==
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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.forestherbs.co.nz/kaituna-the-farm.htm|title=Kaituna Farm|access-date=2012-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109152321/http://www.forestherbs.co.nz/kaituna-the-farm.htm|archive-date=2012-11-09|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Pharmaceutical use==
Horopito contains a substance called ''sesquiterpene dialdehyde polygodiali'', otherwise known as ''[[polygodial]]'' that has a number of biological properties including [[antifungal medication|antifungal]], [[antimicrobial]], [[anti-inflammatory]], [[antiallergic]] and [[insecticide]] effects. Polygodial has been tested as a very effective inhibitor of [[Candida albicans]].<ref>McCallion, R. F., A. L. Cole, J. R. L. Walker, J. W. Blunt, and M. H. G. Munro. 1982. Antibiotic compounds from New Zealand plants, II: polygodial, an anti-Candida agent from Pseudowintera colorata. Planta Med. 44:134-138</ref><ref>Lee, S.H., Lee, J.R., Lunde, Kubo, I., In vitro antifungal susceptibilities of Candida albicans and other fungal pathogens to polygodial, a sesquiterpene dialdehyde. 1999, Planta Medica 65, pp 204-208</ref> Horopito was used traditionally by [[Māori people|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.

==Use and history==

''Pseudowintera'' is one of the major plants used in traditional [[Māori culture|Māori]] medicine.<ref name="MeaningTrees"/> The name horopito appears to be unique to [[Māori language]], as there is no evidence of its use in other [[Polynesian language]]s to describe similar plants.<ref name="MeaningTrees"/>

''Pseudowintera'' is known to be a deterrent against introduced [[deer]], who refuse to consume the plant. Because of this, ''Pseudowintera'' has grown to dominate the understory of some forested areas of New Zealand.<ref name="MeaningTrees"/> The unrelated species ''[[Alseuosmia pusilla]]'' which has a similar appearance to ''Pseudowintera'' may have undergone [[Batesian mimicry]] in response to predation pressures, either from deer or earlier hypothesised predation by [[moa]] species.<ref name="MeaningTrees"/>

''[[Pseudowintera colorata]]'' is the most commonly used species for culinary use, which produces a numbing spiciness when the leaves are chewed.<ref name="MeaningTrees"/> Horopito leaves are typically 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 as flavouring for beer and ice-cream.<ref name="MeaningTrees"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q7255714}}

[[Category:Winteraceae]]
[[Category:Canellales genera]]
[[Category:Trees of New Zealand]]
[[Category:Māori cuisine]]
[[Category:Endemic flora of New Zealand]]