Allocasuarina paradoxa

Allocasuarina paradoxa is a species of flowering plant in the family Casuarinaceae and is endemic to Victoria. It is a dioecious or monoecious shrub that has branchlets up to 150 mm (5.9 in) long, the leaves reduced to scales in whorls of seven to eleven, the fruiting cones 13–25 mm (0.51–0.98 in) long containing winged seeds 4–8 mm (0.16–0.31 in) long.

Allocasuarina paradoxa
Mature cones
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fagales
Family: Casuarinaceae
Genus: Allocasuarina
Species:
A. paradoxa
Binomial name
Allocasuarina paradoxa
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms[1]

Casuarina paradoxa Macklin

Immature female cones

Description

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Allocasuarina paradoxa is a dioecious shrub that typically grows to a height of 1–4 m (3 ft 3 in – 13 ft 1 in) and has smooth bark. Its branchlets are more or less erect, up to 150 mm (5.9 in) long, the leaves reduced to erect to slightly spreading, scale-like teeth 0.4–0.8 mm (0.016–0.031 in) long, arranged in whorls of six or seven around the branchlets. The sections of branchlet between the leaf whorls (the "articles") are 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) long, 0.7–1 mm (0.028–0.039 in) wide and have a waxy covering. Male flowers are arranged in spikes 10–40 mm (0.39–1.57 in) long, the anthers 0.7–0.8 mm (0.028–0.031 in) long. Female cones are cylindrical, on a peduncle 2–6 mm (0.079–0.236 in) long. Mature cones are 13–35 mm (0.51–1.38 in) long and 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) in diameter, the samaras 4.5–5.5 mm (0.18–0.22 in) long.[2][3]

Taxonomy

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This she-oak was first formally described in 1931 by Ellen Dulcie Macklin who gave it the name Casuarina paradoxa in the Kew Bulletin.[4][5] It was reclassified in 1982 as Allocasuarina paradoxa by Lawrie Johnson in the Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.[6]

Distribution and habitat

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Allocasuarina paradoxa grows in tall heath in the Grampians National Park and between Melbourne and Wilsons Promontory in Victoria.[2][3]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Allocasuarina paradoxa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  2. ^ a b Entwisle, Timothy J. "Allocasuarina paradoxa". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Allocasuarina paradoxa". Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment: Canberra. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  4. ^ "Casuarina pardoxa". APNI. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  5. ^ Macklin, Ellen D. (1931). "The Casuarina distyla complex". Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information (Royal Gardens, Kew). 1931 (3): 150. doi:10.2307/4102566.
  6. ^ "Allocasuarina paradoxa". APNI. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
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