Casuarina

Read about Casuarina in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Casuarina (said to be derived from Casuarius, the Cassowary, from resemblance of the branches to the feathers). Casuarinaceae. Beefwood. She-oak. Odd slender-branched leafless trees and shrubs grown in warm regions and rarely seen under glass. They are thin- topped trees of striking appearance. Casuarinas are usually classified near the walnut and hickory tribes, although very unlike them—or other known plants—in botanical characters. They are jointed and leafless plants, somewhat suggesting equisetums in gross appearance. Flowers are unisexual; staminate in cylindrical terminal spikes, each fl. consisting of a stamen inclosed in 4 scales, 2 of the scales being attached to the filament; pistillate fls. in dense heads borne in the axils, and ripening into globular or oblong cones, composed of 1-ovuled ovaries subtended by bracts: fr. a winged nutlet.—About 25 species in Austral., New Caledonia and E. Indies. The species fall into 2 groups, those having cylindrical and verticillate branches, and those having 4-angled and only imperfectly verticillate branches. The species bear small toothed sheaths at the joints. Beefwood is planted in the extreme South for its very odd habit, and also to hold sands of the seacoast. The wood burns quickly, and is very hard and durable. The redness of the wood has given the popular name, beef-wood.—The species are remarkable for rapid growth. They grow well in brackish and alkaline soils. Propagated by seeds and by cuttings of partly ripened wood. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

? Casuarina
Casuarina equisetifolia stems and leaves
Plant Info
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Fagales Family: Casuarinaceae Genus: Casuarina L.
Selected species
Casuarina cunninghamiana Casuarina equisetifolia Casuarina glauca

Casuarina is a genus of shrubs and trees in the Family Casuarinaceae, native to Australia and islands of the Pacific. Once it was the sole genus in the family, but has been split into three genera (see Casuarinaceae), a proposal that is not universally accepted.

Fruit of C. equisetifolia

Commonly known as the she-oak (sometimes sheoak), beefwood, or Australian pine, casuarinas are common in tropical and subtropical areas. The tree has delicate, slender ultimate branches and leaves that are no more than scales, making the tree look more like a wispy conifer. The plants do especially well in wind-swept locations, and are widely planted as wind-breaks, although usually not in agricultural situations.

Plants of some species (C. cunninghamiana, C. equisetifolia, C. glauca) of the genus were introduced to parts of the USA in the early 1900s, but are now considered invasive species in these areas.

Casuarina species are a food source of the larvae of hepialid moths: Members of the genus Aenetus, including A. lewinii and A. splendens, burrow horizontally into the trunk then vertically down. Endoclita malabaricus also feeds on Casuarina.

The noctuid Turnip Moth is also recorded feeding on Casuarina.

The gum exuded from some casuarinas is edible and was a food source for Aboriginal people.

Species accounts

• Casuarina equisetifolia L. is a common tropical seashore tree known as Common Ironwood, Beefwood, Bull-oak, or Whistling-pine and is often planted as a windbreak. The wood of this tree is used for shingles, fencing, and is said to make excellent, hot burning, firewood.

C. equisetifolia is widespread in the Hawaiian Islands where it is an introduced species, growing both at the seashore in dry, salty, calcareous soils and up in the mountains in high rainfall areas on volcanic soils. The plants are strongly suspected of having alleopathic properties, as evidenced by the near absence of understory once a mat of litter develops around the plants.

• Casuarina oligodon L. is a native tree of New Guinea that is planted in an ancient (more than 3,000 years) silviculture by highland gardeners practicing an intensive traditional permaculture. The wood of this tree is used for building-timber, furniture and tools and is said to make excellent firewood. The tree's root nodules are known to fix nitrogen, and it is traditionally prized for its ability to increase the soil's fertility. Its abundant leaf-fall is high in nitrogen and traditionally prized for mulch.

• Casuarina cunninghamiana (River Sheoak) is an introduced species in several countries, including Argentina, China, Egypt, Israel, Iraq, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa and the southern United States [1]; in the United States it is now considered an invasive species [2]. The species has nearly quadrupled in southern Florida over the last decade, as can be noted by IFAS's SRFer Mapserver.

The images below were photographed in Israel.

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  Casuarina cunninghamiana fruit and leaves

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  Casuarina cunninghamiana fruit

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  Bark on the trunk of a Casuarina cunninghamiana

External links

• USDA Forest service description
• Casuarina information from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
• Research team from IRD working on Casuarinaceae
• USFS, FEIS

Kailua Beach on O‘ahu with casuarina trees on the beach dune

Wisteria Island or Christmas Tree Island about 600 yards off of downtown Key West, Florida is covered with Casuarina. Photo: Marc Averette