Casuarina glauca

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Casuarina glauca
Starr 080610-8123 Casuarina glauca.jpg
In Midway Atoll
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Casuarinaceae
Genus: Casuarina
Species:
C. glauca
Binomial name
Casuarina glauca
Synonyms [1]

Casuarina obtusa Miq. nom. inval., pro syn.

New growth Casuarina glauca new growth (15816445868).jpg
New growth
Cones and samaras Casuarina glauca seeds.jpg
Cones and samaras
Australasian figbird roosting on the tree Australasian figbird in Casuarina glauca 7th Brigade Park Chermside P1130348.jpg
Australasian figbird roosting on the tree

Casuarina glauca, commonly known as swamp she-oak, swamp buloke, swamp she-oak, marsh sheoak, grey she-oak, grey she-oak, [2] native pine, [3] or guman by the Gadigal people, [4] is a species of flowering plant that is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dioecious tree that often forms root suckers and has fissured and scaly bark, spreading or drooping branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 12 to 20, the fruit 9–18 mm (0.35–0.71 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 3.5–5.0 mm (0.14–0.20 in) long.

Contents

Description

Casuarina glauca is a dioecious tree that typically grows to a height of 8–20 m (26–66 ft), sometimes to 35 m (115 ft), rarely a shrub to about 2 m (6 ft 7 in), and that often forms root suckers. The bark is greyish brown, fissured and scaly. The branchlets are sometimes drooping, up to 380 mm (15 in) long, the leaves reduced to scale-like teeth about 0.6–0.9 mm (0.024–0.035 in) long, arranged in whorls of usually 12 to 17 around the branchlets, and long and curved back when young. The sections of branchlet between the leaf whorls (the "articles") are 8–20 mm (0.31–0.79 in) long and 0.9–1.2 mm (0.035–0.047 in) wide. Male flowers are arranged in spikes 12–40 mm (0.47–1.57 in) long in whorls of 7 to 10 per centimetre (per 0.39 in.) the anthers about 0.8 mm (0.031 in) long. The female cones are on a peduncle 3–12 mm (0.12–0.47 in) long and sparsely covered with soft, white to rust-coloured hairs when young. Mature cones are 9–18 mm (0.35–0.71 in) long and 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) in diameter, the samaras 3.5–5.0 mm (0.14–0.20 in) long. [2] [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy

Casuarina glauca was first formally described in 1826 by Kurt Sprengel in Systema Vegetabilium from an unpublished description by Franz Sieber. [7] [8] The specific epithet (glauca) means "glaucous". [9]

The Kabi name for the plant, bilai, was used for the town and locality of Bli Bli, Queensland. [10] [11]

This species is closely related to C. cunninghamiana, [12] and hybrids with C. cunninghamiana subsp. cunninghamiana have been recorded where the two species co-occur, such as at Lower Portland and Wisemans Ferry. [4] [13]

Distribution and habitat

Swamp she-oak is found along Australia's east coast from Yeppoon in central Queensland to Bermagui in southern New South Wales. [2] Some stands within the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney predate European settlement. [13] Populations along the New South Wales coastline are at risk due to clearing of habitat for development. [4] It has become highly invasive in Florida. [13]

Casuarina glauca grows in or near brackish water along the banks of rivers and estuaries. Suckering from the roots, the swamp oak can form dense stands of trees. [2] It grows on alluvial soils of sandstone or shale origin. The water table lies 30 cm or less under the surface. This tree then acts to turn shallows into land by preventing erosion and collecting material among its roots. [13]

Ecology

C. glauca is an actinorhizal plant producing root nitrogen-fixing nodules infested by Frankia . There is a regular pattern of cell layers containing flavans. [14] Although not a legume, C. glauca, produces a hemoglobin (not a leghemoglobin) in its symbiotic root nodules. [15]

The rat's tail orchid ( Dendrobium teretifolium ) grows on the swamp oak. [13]

It has become naturalised in the Everglades in Florida where it is considered a weed. [16]

Casuarina glauca trees can live to 100 to 200 years. [13]

Trees regenerate after fire by growing from the roots. Cut stumps sprout suckers vigorously, producing groves of new trees. [13] Casuarina glauca trees drop large amounts of litter, mainly old cones and branchlets, which eventually rots down and enriches the soil unless removed by a flood event. [17]

Understory plants recorded from swamp oak groves include Juncus kraussii , Baumea juncea and Sporobolus virginicus on sandier soils and Apium prostratum , Carex appressa , Goodenia ovata , Juncus kraussii and Phragmites australis and the vine Parsonsia straminea on clay soils. [17]

Glossy black cockatoos break the cones to eat the seeds, which mature in winter. [17] The seed is eaten by the red-browed finch, [18] and peaceful dove (Geopelia placida). [19]

Cultivation and uses

'Cousin It' cultivar Casuarina glauca 'Cousin It'.jpg
'Cousin It' cultivar

Casuarina glauca has been planted widely as a street tree in Canberra. [20] It was introduced to Haiti to stabilise the soil and to be used as timber for poles, and to Florida where it was planted as an ornamental plant and windbreak. [13]

The bark has been used to plant orchids on. [9]

It tolerates waterlogged soils and even soils with some salinity. A significant inconvenience in urban settings is that its roots can invade underground water and sewer pipes if these are within 15 m (50 ft) of the tree. [20] It can also acidify acid sulphate soils as it lowers the water table. [21]

Two prostrate forms are commercially available: Casuarina 'Cousin It' is a cultivar arising from material from Booderee National Park on the New South Wales south coast collected in 1989 and named for its resemblance to Cousin Itt, [22] and C. ‘Kattang Karpet’ is propagated by the Australian Botanic Garden from material collected at Kattang Nature Reserve on the New South Wales mid-north coast in 1998. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casuarinaceae</span> Family of plants

The Casuarinaceae are a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants placed in the order Fagales, consisting of four genera and 91 species of trees and shrubs native to eastern Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, Malesia, Papuasia, and the Pacific Islands. At one time, all species were placed in the genus Casuarina. Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson separated out many of those species and renamed them into the new genera of Gymnostoma in 1980 and 1982, Allocasuarina in 1982, and Ceuthostoma in 1988, with some additional formal descriptions of new species in each other genus. At the time, it was somewhat controversial. The monophyly of these genera was later supported in a 2003 phylogenetic study of the family. In the Wettstein system, this family was the only one placed in the order Verticillatae. Likewise, in the Engler, Cronquist, and Kubitzki systems, the Casuarinaceae were the only family placed in the order Casuarinales.

<i>Casuarina equisetifolia</i> Species of tree

Casuarina equisetifolia, commonly known as coastal she-oak, horsetail she-oak, ironwood,beach sheoak, beach casuarina or whistling tree is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is native to Australia, New Guinea, Southeast Asia and India. It is a small to medium-sized, monoecious tree with scaly or furrowed bark on older specimens, drooping branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 7 or 8, the fruit 10–24 mm (0.39–0.94 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 6–8 mm (0.24–0.31 in) long. It has been called ironwood, horsetair tree, beach sheoak, and Australian pine, though it is not pine despite some of its conifer like features.

<i>Casuarina</i> Genus of trees

Casuarina, also known as Australian pine and native pine, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Casuarinaceae, and is native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and eastern Africa.

<i>Allocasuarina torulosa</i> Species of tree

Allocasuarina torulosa, commonly known as forest oak, rose sheoak, river oak or Baker's oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a slender, usually dioecious tree that has drooping branchlets up to 140 mm (5.5 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of four or five, and the fruiting cones 15–33 mm (0.59–1.30 in) long containing winged seeds 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina humilis</i> Species of flowering plant

Allocasuarina humilis, commonly known as dwarf sheoak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is an erect or spreading dioecious or monoecious shrub that has its leaves reduced to scales in whorls of five to seven, the mature fruiting cones 12–22 mm (0.47–0.87 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina distyla</i> Species of flowering plant

Allocasuarina distyla, commonly known as scrub she-oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to south-eastern New South Wales. It is a dioecious shrub that has branchlets up to 350 mm (14 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of six to eight, the fruiting cones 13–35 mm (0.51–1.38 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 4.0–8.0 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina luehmannii</i> Species of tree

Allocasuarina luehmannii, commonly known as buloke or bull-oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a dioecious tree, that has its leaves reduced to scales in whorls of ten to fourteen, and the mature fruiting cones are 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina decaisneana</i> Species of plant

Allocasuarina decaisneana, commonly known as desert oak, desert sheoak, or kurkara by the Anangu peoples, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to Central Australia. It is a dioecious tree that typically grows to a height of 10–16 m (33–52 ft) and has long, drooping branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of four, the mature fruiting cones 28–95 mm (1.1–3.7 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 8.5–17 mm (0.33–0.67 in) long.

<i>Casuarina cunninghamiana</i> Species of tree

Casuarina cunninghamiana, commonly known as river oak, river sheoak or creek oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is native to Australia and New Guinea. It is a tree with fissured and scaly bark, sometimes drooping branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 6 to 10, the fruit 7–14 mm (0.28–0.55 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina verticillata</i> Species of plant

Allocasuarina verticillata, commonly known as drooping sheoak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to south-eastern Australia. It is a small dioecious tree that has drooping branchlets up to 400 mm (16 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of nine to thirteen, the mature fruiting cones 20–50 mm (0.79–1.97 in) long containing winged seeds 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina littoralis</i> Species of tree

Allocasuarina littoralis, commonly known as black she-oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is dioecious, or less commonly a monoecious tree or shrub, that has its leaves reduced to scales, usually in whorls of six to eight, the mature fruiting cones 10–30 mm (0.39–1.18 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 4.0–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) long.

<i>Casuarina obesa</i> Species of tree

Casuarina obesa, commonly known as swamp she-oak, swamp oak or western swamp oak, or as goolee, kweela, kwerl and quilinock by the Noongar peoples, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a dioecious small tree or shrub that forms root suckers, and has drooping or spreading branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 12 to 16, the fruit 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) long.

<i>Casuarina pauper</i> Species of plant

Casuarina pauper, commonly known as black oak, belah or kariku, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a dioecious tree with fissured or scaly bark, waxy branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 9 to 13, the fruit 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 5.5–7.0 mm (0.22–0.28 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina nana</i> Species of flowering plant

Allocasuarina nana, commonly known as dwarf she-oak or as stunted sheoak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a low, spreading dioecious, rarely monoecious shrub that has branchlets up to 80 mm (3.1 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of four to six, the fruiting cones 14–24 mm (0.55–0.94 in) long containing winged seeds 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) long.

<i>Casuarina cristata</i> Species of tree

Casuarina cristata, commonly known as belah or muurrgu, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to inland eastern Australia. It is a tree with fissured or scaly bark, sometimes drooping branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 8 to 12, the fruit 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 6.0–10.5 mm (0.24–0.41 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina inophloia</i> Species of tree

Allocasuarina inophloia, commonly known as stringybark she-oak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a small dioecious tree that has finely fibrous, ribbony bark, its leaves reduced to scales in whorls of seven to nine, the mature fruiting cones 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina paludosa</i> Species of plant

Allocasuarina paludosa, commonly known as swamp she-oak or scrub sheoak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a monoecious or dioecious shrub that has branchlets up to 200 mm (7.9 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of six to eight, the fruiting cones 10–18 mm (0.39–0.71 in) long containing winged seeds 3.5–5.0 mm (0.14–0.20 in) long.

<i>Dendrobium cucumerinum</i> Species of orchid

Dendrobium cucumerinum, commonly known as the cucumber orchid or gherkin orchid, is a species of orchid endemic to eastern Australia. It is an epiphytic orchid with creeping stems, gherkin-like leaves and flowering stems with up to eighteen cream-coloured, yellowish or greenish white flowers with purple stripes. It often grows on large trees near streams but is also found in drier forests.

<i>Allocasuarina pusilla</i> Species of plant

Allocasuarina pusilla, commonly known as heath oak-bush or dwarf sheoak, is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a spreading, dioecious shrub with branchlets up to 120 mm (4.7 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of five to seven, the fruiting cones 10–15 mm (0.39–0.59 in) long containing winged seeds about 5 mm (0.20 in) long.

<i>Allocasuarina rigida</i> Species of flowering plant

Allocasuarina rigida is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a dioecious shrub that has branchlets up to 330 mm (13 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of seven to ten, and the fruiting cones 8–27 mm (0.31–1.06 in) long containing winged seeds 3.0–7.5 mm (0.12–0.30 in) long.

References

  1. 1 2 "Casuarina glauca". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Casuarina glauca". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  3. ↑ "Casuarina glauca prostrate forms". Australian National Botanic Gardens . Australian National Biodiversity Research. Retrieved 2023-09-12.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wilson, Karen; Johnson, Lawrence A.S. "Casuarina glauca". Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Boland, Douglas J.; Brooker, M. I. H.; Chippendale, G. M.; McDonald, Maurice William (2006). Forest trees of Australia. Collingwood, Victoria: CSIRO Publishing. p. 84. ISBN   0-643-06969-0.
  6. ↑ Fairley, Alan; Moore, Philip (2000). Native Plants of the Sydney District:An Identification Guide (2nd ed.). Kenthurst, NSW: Kangaroo Press. pp. 64–65. ISBN   0-7318-1031-7.
  7. ↑ "Casuarina glauca". APNI. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Sprengel, Kurt P.J. (1826). Systema Vegetabilium. Vol. 3. Göttingen. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  9. 1 2 Elliot, Rodger W.; Jones, David L.; Blake, Trevor (1985). Encyclopaedia of Australian Plants Suitable for Cultivation: Vol. 2. Port Melbourne: Lothian Press. p. 482. ISBN   0-85091-143-5.
  10. ↑ "Bli Bli (town) (entry 3174)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  11. ↑ "Bli Bli (locality) (entry 47165)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government . Retrieved 25 June 2015.
  12. ↑ Steane, Dorothy A.; Wilson, Karen L.; Hill, Robert S. (2003). "Using matK sequence data to unravel the phylogeny of Casuarinaceae" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 28 (1): 47–59. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(03)00028-9. PMID   12801471.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Benson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (1995). "Ecology of Sydney plant species Part3: Dicotyledon families Cabombaceae to Eupomat1aceae". Cunninghamia. 4 (2): 269–270. Retrieved 1 May 2023.
  14. ↑ Laplaze, L.; Gherbi, H.; Frutz, T.; Pawlowski, K.; Franche, C.; Macheix, J. J.; Auguy, F.; Bogusz, D.; Duhoux, E. (2002). "Flavan-Containing Cells Delimit Frankia Infected Compartments in Casuarina glauca Nodules". Nitrogen Fixation: From Molecules to Crop Productivity. Current Plant Science and Biotechnology in Agriculture. Vol. 38. p. 455. doi:10.1007/0-306-47615-0_254. ISBN   0-7923-6233-0.
  15. ↑ Jacobsen-Lyon, K.; Jensen, E.O.; Jørgensen, J.E.; Marcker, K.A.; Peacock, W.J.; Dennis, E.S. (1995). "Symbiotic and nonsymbiotic hemoglobin genes of Casuarina glauca". The Plant Cell. 7 (2): 213–23. doi:10.1105/tpc.7.2.213. PMC   160777 . PMID   7756831.
  16. ↑ "Biological control of Australian native Casuarina species in the USA". Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. 16 May 2007. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2010.
  17. 1 2 3 Clark, Peter J.; Allaway, W.G. (1996). "Litterfall in Casuarina glauca Coastal Wetland Forests" (PDF). Australian Journal of Botany. 44 (4): 373–80. doi:10.1071/bt9960373. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-05-11.
  18. ↑ Hornsby Shire Council. "Casuarina glauca – Swamp Oak" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  19. ↑ Barker, Robin Dale; Vestjens, Wilhelmus Jacobus Maria (1984). The Food of Australian Birds: (I) Non-passerines. Melbourne University Press. p. 306. ISBN   0-643-05007-8.
  20. 1 2 Burke, Don. "Casuarinas". Burke's Backyard: Factsheets. CTC Productions. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  21. ↑ Dept. Industry & Investment (1 November 2010). "Swamp Oak or Swamp Sheoak" (PDF). Paddock Plants Fact Sheets. New South Wales Government. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  22. ↑ Hitchcock, Bobbie (24 December 2015) [2005]. "Casuarina glauca prostrate forms". Growing Native Plants. (online version at www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/). Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Australian National Botanic Gardens, Australian Government. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  23. ↑ Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney. "Growing Prostrate Casuarina Glauca Forms". Gardening. State of New South Wales and Office of Environment and Heritage. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
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