Casuarina equisetifolia

Casuarina equisetifolia

Family: Casuarinaceae

Common name: Australian pine

Casuarina equisetifolia is a tree with an open canopy that can grow up to 40 meters tall. Its true leaves are reduced to tiny scales arranged in whorls, surrounding the tree’s grey-green, needle-like twigs, giving it a pine-like appearance. The tree is dioecious, with male flowers appearing as tiny, inconspicuous spikes at the ends of green twigs, while the female flowers are small, brownish heads located at the swollen tips of brown twigs. The fruits are small, flattened, winged nuts, grouped in cone-like clusters that split open when ripe.

Traditionally, Casuarina equisetifolia has been used to treat various ailments, including nervous disorders, acne, throat infections, stomach ulcers, constipation, cough, diabetes, and diarrhea. The tree is also commonly planted as a windbreak to protect crops from strong winds.