First daily leaf: River-oak Casuarina

Casuarina cunninghamiana, Australian tree. Off hand couldn’t find its name in any Aborigine language or what it was used for though possibly for boomerangs. Also

The name ‘casuarina’ is derived from the Malay word for cassowary, kasuari, which refers to the similarity of the drooping foliage to the birds’ feathers. The unusual branchlets of casuarina trees look similar to pine needles, and are their most obvious characteristic. They also have woody fruits that increase their resemblance to pines. The needle-like foliage is not composed of true leaves, but rather of green, jointed branchlets that function like leaves. The true leaves are tiny, tooth-like structures protruding from the top of each joint.

Click to access casuarina_forests_2005.pdf

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