Allocasuarina acuaria is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to the southwest of Western Australia. It is a dioecious shrub that has erect branchlets, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of four on the ends of the branchlets, the fruiting cones 15–19 mm (0.59–0.75 in) long containing winged seeds (samaras) about 6 mm (0.24 in) long.
| Allocasuarina acuaria | |
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| In Kings Park Botanic Garden | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Casuarinaceae |
| Genus: | Allocasuarina |
| Species: | A. acuaria
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| Binomial name | |
| Allocasuarina acuaria | |
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
Description
editAllocasuarina acuaria is a dioecious shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in). Its branchlets are erect, 15–30 mm (0.59–1.18 in) long and 0.6–0.9 mm (0.024–0.035 in) in diameter, the leaves reduced to scale-like teeth 0.8–1.3 mm (0.031–0.051 in) long, arranged in whorls of four on the ends of branchlets forming a sharply-pointed tip. The flowers on male trees are arranged like a string of beads 10–40 mm (0.39–1.57 in) long in whorls of 4.5 to 5.5 per centimetre (per 0.39 in.), the anthers 0.7–0.9 mm (0.028–0.035 in) long. The female cones are on a peduncle 4–10 mm (0.16–0.39 in) long. Mature cones are cylindrical, 15–19 mm (0.59–0.75 in) long (20–26 mm (0.79–1.02 in) long including the bracteoles), and 13–18 mm (0.51–0.71 in) in diameter, the samaras about 6 mm (0.24 in) long and black.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editThis species was first formally described in 1867 by Ferdinand von Mueller who gave it the name Casuarina acuaria in the Journal of Botany, British and Foreign from specimens collected "by the late meritorious James Drummond".[4][5] In 1982, it was reclassified in 1982 into the genus Allocasuarina by Lawrie Johnson in the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.[6][7] The specific epithet, (acuaria) means "possessing a needle", referring to the sharply pointed branchlets.[8]
Distribution and habitat
editAllocasuarina acuaria grows in heath in sand in the Tambellup–Ravensthrope area in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia, and is listed as "not threatened" by the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ a b "Allocasuarina acuaria". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Allocasuarina acuaria". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ a b "Allocasuarina acuaria". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ "Casuarina acuaria". APNI. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Mueller, F.J.H. von (1867). "An undescribed Casuarina from West Australia". Journal of Botany, British and Foreign. 5: 212–213.
- ^ "Allocasuarina acuaria". APNI. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
- ^ Johnson, L.A.S. (23 December 1982). "Notes on Casuarinaceae II" (PDF). Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 6 (1): 74.
- ^ Francis Aubie Sharr (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and their Meanings. Kardinya, Western Australia: Four Gables Press. p. 127. ISBN 9780958034180.