CASUARINACEAE
Morphological description
Trees; twigs jointed. Twigs round, scales in whorls of 6 or more (Casuarina); twigs quadrangular, scales in whorls of 4 (Gymnostoma)
Leaves
Leaves scaly, in whorls.
Inflorescence
Inflorescence unisexual, male flowers in slender spikes, female flowers in globular heads.
Flowers
Flower.
Fruits
Fruit usually a woody cone.
Seeds
Seeds winged.
Different from: Coniferales: no vessels in wood, twigs not articulate.
Distribution: The family is chiefly Australian and West Paciļ¬c. In Malesia 3 genera and several species, in lowland and montane forest. - Ceuthostoma is endemic in Malesia; - Casuarina equisetifolia is pantropical through cultivation.
Notes: Some species cultivated as ornamental trees; fast growing trees with hard wood; several species produce root nodules with N-binding bacteria.
Literature: R.J. Johns, The flowering plants of Papuasia, Dicotyledons 2 (1988) 121-125. — Dr. L.A.S. Johnson and Dr. K.L. Wilson (NSW) are specialists of the family.
Spot characters (Van Balgooy): leaves verticillate, inflorescence compact (in a head), fruit spiny or muricate, fruit compound, seeds winged.
Illustrations: Fig. 24. Gymnostoma mobile L.A.S. Johnson: R.J. Johns, The flowering plants of Papuasia, Dicotyledons 2 (1988) 121-125.
Images in PhytoImages for Casuarinaceae.