Allocasuarina mackliniana explained

Allocasuarina mackliniana is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a dioecious, rarely a monoecious shrub that has more or less erect branchlets up to long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of seven to ten, the fruiting cones long containing winged seeds (samaras) long.

Description

Allocasuarina mackliniana is a dioecious, or rarely a monoecious shrub that typically grows to a height of and has smooth bark. Its branchlets are more or less erect, up to long, the leaves reduced to spreading or curved, scale-like teeth long, arranged in whorls of seven to ten around the branchlets. The sections of branchlet between the leaf whorls (the "articles") are long, wide. Male flowers are arranged in thick, dense spikes long, the anthers long. Female cones are cylindrical and sessile or on a peduncle up to long. Mature cones are cylindrical, mostly long and in diameter, the samaras dark reddish-brown to black, and long.^{[1] [2]}

Taxonomy

Allocasuarina mackliniana was first formally described in 1989 by Lawrie Johnson in the Flora of Australia from specimens collected near Lucindale in 1986.^{[3] [4]} The specific epithet, (mackliniana) honours "Miss Ellen D. Macklin, of Adelaide".

In the same edition of Flora of Australia, Johnson described three subspecies of A. mackliniana, and the names are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

• Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. hirtilinea L.A.S.Johnson^[5] has articles long, eight or nine teeth, the "ribs" along the articles slightly rounded and the furrows between the ribs softly hairy.^{[6] [7]}
• Allocasuarina mackliniana L.A.S.Johnson subsp. mackliniana^[8] has articles long, seven to ten teeth, the "ribs" rounded, the furrows with minute, soft hairs. It is similar to A. paradoxa.^{[9] [10]}
• Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. xerophila L.A.S.Johnson^[11] is intermediate between the other two subspecies, and has articles long, seven or eight teeth, the "ribs" nearly flat to slightly rounded and the furrows between the ribs softly hairy when young.^{[12] [13]}

Distribution and habitat

This sheoak is found from the southern Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia to western Victoria. Subspecies hirtlinea grows in woodland and is restricted to the western parts of the Grampians National Park. Subspecies mackliniana grows in heath from the southern Mount Lofty Ranges to Portland in Victoria and subsp. xerophila grows in heath from near Pinnaroo and Keith in South Australia to the Wyperfield and Little Desert National Parks in Victoria.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Entwisle . Timothy J. . Stajsic . Val . Allocasuarina mackliniana . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 17 June 2023.
2. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 17 June 2023.
3. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana. APNI. 17 June 2023.
4. Book: Wilson . Karen L. . Johnson . Lawrence A.S. . George. Alex S.. Flora of Australia . 3 . 1989 . Australian Government Publishing Service . Canberra . 196–197 . 17 June 2023.
5. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. hirtilinea . Australian Plant Census. 17 June 2023.
6. Web site: Entwisle . Timothy J. . Stajsic . Val . Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. hirtilinea . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 17 June 2023.
7. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. hirtilinea . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 17 June 2023.
8. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. mackliniana . Australian Plant Census. 17 June 2023.
9. Web site: Entwisle . Timothy J. . Stajsic . Val . Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. mackliniana . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 17 June 2023.
10. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. mackliniana . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 17 June 2023.
11. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. xerophila . Australian Plant Census. 17 June 2023.
12. Web site: Entwisle . Timothy J. . Stajsic . Val . Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. xerophila . Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria . 17 June 2023.
13. Web site: Allocasuarina mackliniana subsp. xerophila . Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra . 17 June 2023.