Casuarinaceae
From Freepedia
| Casuarinaceae | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image:Equisetoid twigs.jpg Common Ironwood (Casuarina equisetifolia) | ||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
| Genera | ||||||||||
Casuarinaceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants placed in the order Fagales, consisting of 3 or 4 genera and approximately 70 species of trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics (Indo-Malaysia), Australia, and the Pacific islands. At one time, all of the species were placed in the Genus Casuarina, but these are now split among Allocasuarina, Casuarina, and Gymnostoma. Members of this family are characterized by drooping equisetoid (meaning to look like Equisetum) twigs, are evergreen, and monoecious or dioecious. The roots have nitrogen-fixing nodules.
The most widely used common name for Casuarinaceae species is sheoak or she-oak. Other common names include bull-oak and beefwood.
Casuarina equisetifolia L. is a widespread seashore tree known as Common Ironwood, Beefwood, Bull-oak, and Whistling-pine and is often planted as a windbreak. The wood of this tree is used for shingles, fencing, and is said to make excellent, hot burning, firewood.
Casuarina oligodon L. is a native tree of New Guinea that is planted in an ancient (more than 3,000 years) silviculture by highland gardeners practicing an intensive traditional permaculture. The wood of this tree is used for building-timber, furniture and tools and is said to make excellent firewood. The tree's root nodules are known to fix nitrogen, and it is traditionally prized for its ability to increase the soil's fertility. Its abundant leaf-fall is high in nitrogen and traditionally prized for mulch.
