Tsuga (/ˈsuːɡə/, from Japanese: 栂 (ツガ), the name of Tsuga sieboldii) is a genus of conifers in the pine family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock. Unlike the latter, Tsuga species are not poisonous.Eight to ten species are within the genus (depending on the authority), with four species occurring in North America and four to six in eastern Asia.