River she- oak
Casuarina cunninghamiana, Fam. Casuarinaceae
Tree reaching up to 30m high.
Weed Category: | |
Weed: | No |
Form or habit: | Large Tree |
Family: | Casuarinaceae |
Leaf: | Unknown Whorled No true leaves, leaves reduced to branchlets, branchlets in whorls of 8-10, teeth at the nodes of branchlets. |
Flower conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
Flower colour: |
Red, Brown |
Flower description: | Trees are male and female, male flowers are red-brown, cylindrical, on terminal spikes, 3-4cm long, female flowers red, globular spikes on older wood. |
Fruit conspicuous: | Conspicuous |
Fruit colour: |
Grey |
Fruit: | Dry |
Fruit description: | Grey, globular cones, 0.7x1.4cm long and 0.4-0.6cm wide. |
Habitat: | Gallery (riverine or riparian) forest |
Distribution | Queensland, Northern Territory and New South Wales. |
Food source for: | Seed consumed by the Australian king parrot, red-winged parrot, pale-headed and crimson rosellas and the sulphur-crested cockatoo. The river she-oak also provides food for the larva of thePernattia exposita moth. |
Toxicity: | No toxicity known |
Origin: | Australia |
Notes: | |
Information sources: | Melzer R. & Plumb J. (2007) Plants of Capricornia., Townsend K. & the Society for Growing Australian Plant Townsville Branch Inc. (1994) Across the Top: Gardening with Australian Plants in the tropics. |