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Allocasuarina distyla

Allocasuarina distyla, commonly known as Scrub She-Oak or Black Sheoak, is a shrub or small tree endemic to New South Wales (NSW), Australia. It belongs to the She-oak family, Casuarinaceae.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Allocasuarina distyla (Vent.) L.A.S.Johnson
• Family: Casuarinaceae
• Synonym: Casuarina distyla Vent.
• Authority: The species was initially described by Étienne Pierre Ventenat, and the currently accepted name was validly published by Lawrence Alexander Sidney Johnson.

Distribution and Habitat

• Allocasuarina distyla naturally occurs in tall heath and on sandstone ridge-tops in NSW.
• Specific regions include Sydney Hawkesbury Sandstone and Blue Mountains regions.
• It is also found in Victoria (Vic).

Morphological Characteristics

• Allocasuarina distyla is described as an evergreen large shrub or small tree, reaching up to 4 meters in height and 2 meters in width.
• It can also be a dense bushy shrub up to 3m high with ridged erect stems.
• It is a dioecious shrub, typically 1-3 meters high.
• The branchlets can reach up to 35 cm long.
• The teeth on the branchlets are concave to ridged, with strongly convex to angular ridges.

Ecological Role

• The plant's serotinous seed banks are affected by fire, which influences seedling recruitment.

Other Characteristics

• Allocasuarina distyla is a member of the Casuarinaceae family, where all members share the common name Sheoak.
• The plant has separate male and female plants with different flowers. The text mentions "female flowers" and "tiny male flowers".
• The cones are usually more than 16 mm in diameter.

Further Information

• Australian Plant Name Index (APNI)
• International Plant Names Index
• Australian Plant Census
• Encyclopedia of Life
• Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service
• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)
• Australian National Botanic Gardens
• Tropicos