She oak, Shingle Oak, Coastal She Oak
Casuarina equisetifolia

Family: Casuarinaceae

What it is like

A small tree. It grows 5-10 m high. It can spread to 3-10 m wide. Often there are several stems. The bark is rough and brown. It peels off in long strips. The branches hang downwards. There are 6-8 angled needles. The leaves hang downwards. The leaves are reduce to tiny scales on long fine branches. The flowers are separately male and female. The male are in small spikes and the female in round clusters. The fruit are brown round, woody cones. They are 1.5-2 cm across.

There are 17 Casuarina species. The young leaves are used for fodder. It can become invasive.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in coastal sand dunes in drier regions. It suits hardiness zones 10-12.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Anguilla, Australia, British Indian Ocean Terr., BIOT, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Caroline Islands, Dominican Republic, East Africa, East Timor, Fiji, Grenada, Guam, Hawaii, India, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Marquesas, Micronesia, Myanmar, Nauru, Niue, Pacific, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Rotuma, Samoa, SE Asia, Somalia, Sri Lanka, St Helena, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Tuvalu, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, West Indies

How it is used for food

The seeds are roasted for salt. The leaves and green fruit were chewed to stimulate salivation to quench thirst.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Seeds - salt, probably leaves for water

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seed. Some forms can be grown by aerial layering or large cuttings.

Its other names

Local names

Ai-kakeu, Akao, Beach She-oak, Filao, Fithuroanu, Ghailoro, Ghairoro, Horsetail She-oak, Karo, Laremanifi, Moinga, Mvinje, Nakure, Ngas, Nokonoko, Pinle-kabwe, Pinle-tinyu, Rairoro, Shawri, Sngav, Te burukam

Synonyms

Casuarina africana Lour.; and others