She Oak

Casuarina equisetifolia

Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve

Leon Levy Native Plant Preserve

NAME:  Casuarina equisetifolia     

FAMILY: Casuarinaceae

COMMON NAMES:   Australian pine, horse-tail tree, whistling pine, She Oak

LOCAL NAMES:  agoho pine, agoso, aro

MORPHORLOGICAL DESCRIPTION:

Casuarina equisetifolia is a tall (grows up to 35m height), slender, much branched evergreen tree that is deciduous and grows in open, coastal habitats.

USEFUL PART(s):   Leaves, seeds, roots, twig, bark

GENERAL USES:

  • Seeds are roasted for salt

  • Leaves are used for ornamental purposes

  • Bark contains a red pigment which is used as dye

  • Bark is used for preserving ropes.

  • Wood is used to produce paper pulp

  • Wood is highly regarded as a fuel

  • A decoction of the twigs is used for treating swellings

  • Roots extracts are used to treat dysentery, diarrhoea and stomach ache

  • Powdered bark is used for treating pimples on the face

GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION:

Asia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia

WHY IS IT GREEN?

  • Antipyretic

  • Salt tolerant tree

  • Dysentery

  • Diarrhoea

  • Stomach ache

  • Asthma

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

It helps control erosion and is a wind breaking element

It is able to fix atmospheric nitrogen

Can serve as an ornamental plant

FUN FACT:

The fruit resembles a conifer cone made up of numerous carpels each containing a single seed with a small wing.

FURTHER READING

Casuarina equisetifolia Linn. (2011). In SpringerReference. https://doi.org/10.1007/springerreference_68248

Khare, C. P. (2007). Casuarina equisetifolia Linn. In Indian Medicinal Plants. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-70638-2_311

Kumar, R., Pandey, K. K., Chandrashekar, N., & Mohan, S. (2011). Study of age and height wise variability on calorific value and other fuel properties of Eucalyptus hybrid, Acacia auriculaeformis and Casuarina equisetifolia. Biomass and Bioenergy. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.12.031

Samarakoon, M. B., Tanaka, N., & Iimura, K. (2013). Improvement of effectiveness of existing Casuarina equisetifolia forests in mitigating tsunami damage. Journal of Environmental Management. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2012.10.050

Valdés, M., Pérez, N. O., Estrada-De Los Santos, P., Caballero-Mellado, J., Peña-Cabriales, J. J., Normand, P., & Hirsch, A. M. (2005). Non-Frankia actinomycetes isolated from surface-sterilized roots of Casuarina equisetifolia fix nitrogen. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.71.1.460-466.2005

Van Rooyen, M. W., Van Rooyen, N., & Stoffberg, G. H. (2013). Carbon sequestration potential of post-mining reforestation activities on the KwaZulu-Natal coast, South Africa. Forestry. https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cps070