Plants of South Eastern New South Wales
Casuarina cunninghamiana subsp. cunninghamiana
Common name
River oak, River sheoak
Family
Casuarinaceae
Where found
Forest, woodland and grassy areas on river banks and the banks of permanent streams. Widespread, except for Kosciuszko National Park. Coastal north of Jervis Bay only.
Notes
Tree to 35 m high with branchlets drooping in vigorous specimens, erect in depauperate specimens. Bark rough, finely fissured. Leaves very small, forming whorls of 8–10 teeth on the branchlets, withering. Articles 6–9 mm long, 0.4–1 mm in diameter, teeth 6-10, 0.3-0.5 mm long, erect and appressed, soon withering. Male and female flowers on different trees. Male flowers reddish brown to pale brown, with 1-2 'petals', in elongated catkin-like clusters 40-85 mm long. Female flowers red, with 0 petals, in tight clusters 4-6 mm long, appearing single. Cone body sparsely and hairy with minute hairs, 7–14 mm long, 4–8 mm in diameter, bracteoles broad-pointed, thinly woody, prominent, extending well beyond the cone body. Mature 'seeds' 3–4 mm long, grey or yellow-brown, dull, with one wing.
Hyridises naturally with Casuarina glauca.
All native plants on unleased land in the ACT are protected.
PlantNET description: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=in&name=Casuarina~cunninghamiana~subsp.+cunninghamiana (accessed 7 January, 2021)
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