Allocasuarina pinaster

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Allocasuarina pinaster
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Casuarinaceae
Genus: Allocasuarina
Species:
A. pinaster
Binomial name
Allocasuarina pinaster
(
C.A.Gardner) L.A.S.Johnson[1]
Occurrence data from AVH
Lake Grace

Allocasuarina pinaster, commonly known as compass bush,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prickly, dioecious shrub resembling a pine tree and that has its leaves reduced to scales in whorls of four, the mature fruiting cones 14–25 mm (0.55–0.98 in) long, containing winged seeds 10–11 mm (0.39–0.43 in) long.

Description

Allocasuarina pinaster is a prickly, dioecious shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) and resembles a small cedar. Its branchlets are 20–60 mm (0.79–2.36 in) long, the leaves reduced to scale-like teeth 0.4–1.3 mm (0.016–0.051 in) long, arranged in whorls of four around the needle-like branchlets. The sections of branchlet between the leaf whorls are mostly 20–50 mm (0.79–1.97 in) long, 1.0–1.2 mm (0.039–0.047 in) wide and more or less square in cross-section. Male flowers are arranged in spikes 5–10 mm (0.20–0.39 in) long, the anthers 1.0–1.4 mm (0.039–0.055 in) long. Female cones are sessile or on a peduncle up to 5 mm (0.20 in) long, the mature cones 14–25 mm (0.55–0.98 in) long and 12–16 mm (0.47–0.63 in) in diameter containing dark brown to black, winged seeds 10–11 mm (0.39–0.43 in) long.[2][3]

Taxonomy

This sheoak was first formally described in 1943 by

Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.[6] The specific epithet (pinaster) means "imitation pine".[7] Specimens of compass bush consistently lean in a southerly direction at an angle of 30°- 40° from vertical.[3]

Distribution and habitat

Allocasuarina pinaster grows in tall shrubland and heath in gravelly

Dumbleyung area in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia.[2][3]

References

  1. ^ "Allocasuarina pinaster". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  2. ^
    Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions
    .
  3. ^ a b c "Allocasuarina pinaster". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Casuarina pinaster". APNI. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  5. ^ Gardner, Charles A. (1943). "Contributiones Florae Australiae Occidentalis, XI". Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia. 27: 166–167. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  6. ^ "Allocasuarina pinaster". APNI. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  7. ISBN 9780958034180
    .

External links
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