Casuarina
genus of plants
Casuarina is a genus of 17 tree species in the family Casuarinaceae. They are native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and eastern Africa.
Casuarina | |
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Casuarina equisetifolia, showing red female flowers and mature fruits | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fagales |
Family: | Casuarinaceae |
Genus: | Casuarina L. |
Species | |
See text | |
This was once the only genus in the family, but it is now split into four genera.
They are evergreen shrubs and trees growing to 35 m (115 ft) tall.
The flowers have no petals. They are in small catkin-like inflorescences. Most species are dioecious, but a few are monoecious.
The fruit is a woody, oval structure. It looks a bit like a conifer cone. It has many carpels, each with a single seed and a small wing.[1][2]
References
change- ↑ Wilson, K.L.; Johnson, L.A.S. (1989). "Flora of Australia online: Casuarinaceae". ABRS, Commonwealth of Australia. Archived from the original on 30 December 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
- ↑ Huxley A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan. ISBN 0-333-47494-5.