Allocasuarina brachystachya explained

Allocasuarina brachystachya is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales. It is an open, usually monoecious shrub that has branchlets up to long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of 5 to 7, the fruiting cones long containing winged seeds (samaras) long.

Description

Allocasuarina brachystachya is an open, spreading, usually monoecious shrub that typically grows to a height of up to about . Its branchlets are more or less erect, up to long, the leaves reduced to erect, scale-like teeth long, arranged in whorls of five to seven around the branchlets. The sections of branchlet between the leaf whorls (the "articles") are long and wide. Male flowers are arranged in head-like spikes long, the anthers long. Female cones are covered with fine, white or dark yellowish hairs when young, and are sessile or on a peduncle up to long. Mature cones are long and in diameter, the samaras long.[1]

This casuarina is similar to Allocasuarina paludosa.

Taxonomy

Allocasuarina brachystachya was first formally described in 1989 by Lawrie Johnson in the Flora of Australia from specimens collected by Karen Wilson near Tingha in 1980.[2] [3]

The specific epithet, (brachystachya) means "short spike", referring to the male spikes.

Distribution and habitat

This sheoak grows in low open woodland between Emmaville, Guyra and Moredun, on the western edge of the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Allocasuarina brachystachya . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 15 May 2023.
  2. Web site: Allocasuarina brachystachya. APNI. 15 May 2023.
  3. Book: Wilson . Karen L. . Johnson . Lawrence A.S. . George. Alex S.. Flora of Australia . 3 . 1989 . Australian Government Publishing Service . Canberra . 168 . 15 May 2023.