#casuarinaceae

Described and named by German Botanist Friedrich Ludwig Emil Diels in 1904. Diels collected extensively in Papua, Australia, Equador, but his entire collection including many holotypes was destroyed in an air raid in 1943.

Widespread in SW Western Australia, growing in sandplains.

Photos 1-2 - Banksia integrifolia

Photos 3-4 - Abrus precatorius

Photos 5-6 - Allocasuarina sp.

Some plants recorded out in the bush.

11-13/09/23 - Magnoliopsida spp.

Casuarina equisetifolia, Casuarinaceae

Second in the series of native and introduced plants of Lanzarote comes the Australian pine tree, which I hadn’t seen in probably ten years -since the last time I was in southern Italy- and that I found to be extensively used in the landscaping of the area I visited. After a first, quick look, the tree could indeed be taken for an exotic looking pine (Pinus), but despite the name and similarities Casuarinas are actually Angiosperms! Native to SE Asia, Australia and New Zealand, it is generally found in semi-arid situations, in well-draining, alkaline soils and often on sand dunes and beaches. Aside from being the reason why it is so successful on the seashores of Lanzarote, this resilience is also what gave the tree the characteristic conifer-like look. Green, thin and deciduous twigs perform the role of leaves and are peculiar in their segmentation reminiscent of horsetail (Equisetum), after which the species is named. This kind of structure is an adaptation to perform photosynthesis more efficiently in dry, windy and sunny conditions than a broad leaf might be able to. Like conifers, the tree is wind-pollinated, but the dry, woody structures it produces are not cones, they’re fruits. As they open, they release tiny winged seeds, quite easy to miss unless they fall in your cup (ahah!). If given the chance in the right place, the Australian pine tree can be rather invasive and smother native vegetation by shedding a thick layer of twigs -much like it happens in conifer forests- which also hinder germination with allelopathic biochemicals.

There's at least five species of she-oak growing around Wongan Hills, and this is the only one I'm confident with the ID on. Probably because there was an information sign on the species about 2m away. I'd have had to get photos of the cones at various ages, male and female flowers, details of the needles and the tiny scale-like leaves that encircle each segment of the needle, and bark texture to be sure. Like so many of the plants around the area, they differ in their preferred soil type - A. huegeliana for example prefers to grow around granite outcrops.

Drooping She-Oak

AKA worgnal, shingle oak, coast she-oak, river oak, salt-water swamp oak, and Casuarina verticillata. The specific means 'forming or having whorls'.

A small tree endemic to SE Australia, usually growing to between 4 and 10m. It usually grows in grassy woodland, sometimes in pure stands and sometimes with eucalypts, but is also found on rocky sea coasts, coastal shale, and on dry ridges inland.

Apparently chewing on the foliage stimulates saliva flow, if you're crossing dry country, and the young cones are edible or at least chewable. The timber has been used for tool-making, boomerangs, and other purposes by our indigenous peoples, and the mature cones (as in the photo) as children's toys. The cones are also the favoured food of Glossy Black Cockatoos in some areas, which is convinient because Glossy Black Cockatoos nest in the reserve.