#she-oak

[timothyhillier]

[huariqueje]

Wattle and she - oak    -   Gina Kalabishis, 2022.  

Australian , b. 1970  -

Pastel on Velour paper , 192 x 136 cm.

[drhoz]

#2172 - Allocasuarina verticillata -

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.

The Rock Reserve, NSW

[begottaum]

Tom ROBERTS

She-oak and sunlight (1889)

[regnum-plantae]

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.

If managed well, the tree can also do the opposite, and aid crop plants and smaller fruit trees: like species within the Fabaceae, it can fix nitrogen in the soil through the association with bacteria while it provides dappled shade when the sun radiation is too intense and acts as windbreak against drying hot air. In its native area it has been used as a medicinal plant to treat skin imperfections and gastrointestinal problems, but also as a tanning agent and widely as high-quality fire wood.     

[melindajirvine]

Drooping She-oak

drooping limbs flailing she-died -- not quickly #poetry #she-oak #haiku

drooping limbs flailing she-died — not quickly

I felt a sadness in me when I encountered the remains of this magnificent she-oak embedded in the sand with her limbs flailing to the incoming tide. Her roots and foundations rudely stuck up out the ground, I didn’t photo her bottom.

View On WordPress

[apeliebe]

Taking this picture on Eid Mubarak 1436, day 3. Under Cemara Udang tree. Wikipedia said, we can only know this tree on this beach.

2015, Lombang Beach

[drhoz]

#689 - Allocasuarina humilis - Dwarf She-oak

Another SW Australian endemic, and a woody shrub 20cm to 2m tall, unlike its relatives which can be quite large trees. As with all she-oaks, the actual leaves are tiny scales in rings around the green 'needles'. The cones are warty and potato-like.

It tolerates a wide range of soils, including those with some alkalinity, and prefers a sunny aspect. Tolerant of some exposure to coastal conditions, it is also planted for erosion control and as a windbreak.Unlike many Australian native plants, it is relatively tolerant of phosphates.

Banjup, Perth