Casuarina pauper
| Casuarina pauper | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Casuarinaceae |
| Genus: | Casuarina |
| Species: | C. pauper |
| Binomial name | |
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Casuarina pauper F.Muell. ex L.A.S.Johnson |
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Casuarina pauper is a tree from the Casuarinaceae family, native to a band across the drier, inland areas of southern Australia (Wilson & Johnson 1989). C. pauper is known as a poorer, stunted form of the closely related Casuarina cristata (Wilson & Johnson 1989). Common names include black oak and belah (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006).
Casuarina pauper is a dioecious tree, 5 to 15 metres tall and up to 0.5 metre in diameter (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006; Callister 2004). Specimens growing in the open often develop a dense crown, and when growing in dense stands the main stem tends to be straight for more than half the total height (National Research Council 1984).
The foliage is not composed of true leaves but rather of jointed branchlets that function like leaves (Wilson & Johnson 1989). The true leaves are tiny, tooth-like structures protruding from around the top of each joint (DAFF). Leaves are strongly waxy, densely and very shortly hairy, with teeth spreading to recurved (Wilson & Johnson 1989).
Bark is hard, dark brown to blackish, with a tight scaly appearance (Wilson & Johnson 1989). Sapwood is wide and creamy coloured, heartwood is reddish brown and very dense (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006).
Seedlings consist of both deciduous and persistent branches similar in morphology. Whorls of 4 leaf teeth are closely oppressed to the branch at the joint, gradually increasing in number, with internodes being 0.3-0.4 cm long (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006).
Adult plants consist of both deciduous and permanent branches, which are noticeably different in morphology (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006). The deciduous branches are robust, dark olive-green to grey, consisting of mostly pendent branchlets 10–20 cm long, shed after 2-3 seasons (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006). Erect leaf teeth occur in whorls of 9-16, consist of internodes of approximately 0.7-1.5 cm long, spreading to recurved (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006).
As the species is dioecious, male and female inflorescences are on separate trees. Male flowers are located on small slender terminal spikes at the end of deciduous branches (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006). Female flowers are grouped in alternating whorls of 9-16, eventually forming a cone, which is grey, subspherical to rounded oblong in shape measuring 1.5-3 x 1.5-2.5 cm (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006). Bracteoles are short and tawny, pubescent and opening widely at dehiscence (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006). Fruits are dull yellow-brown, elliptical, flattened, up to 5.5-7.0mm long (Boland, Brooker & McDonald 2006).
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