Gray Sheoak

Casuarina glauca is widely cultivated in many parts of the world. Pistillate trees are very infrequent in the flora.

It is now considered a pest species in Florida because of root suckering. Its identification may be confused by the practice of some Florida nurserymen of grafting scions of Casuarina glauca onto rootstocks from the other two species.

Used for timber.

Trees , 8-20 m, frequently producing root suckers. Bark gray-brown, finely fissured and scaly. Branchlets drooping; segments 8-20 × 0.9-1.2 mm, glabrous, occasionally waxy; longitudinal ridges flat to slightly rounded-convex; teeth usually marcescent, 12-17, erect, 0.6-0.9 mm. Young permanent shoots with long-recurved teeth. Flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants. Staminate spikes 1.2-4 cm, 7-10 whorls per cm; anthers ca. 0.8 mm. Infructescences rust-colored to white-pubescent, becoming glabrous; peduncles 3-12 mm; infructescence body 9-18 × 7-9 mm; bracteoles broadly acute. Samaras 3.5-5 mm.

Trees dioecious, to 20 m tall. Trunk to 35 cm d.b.h.; bark grayish brown or grayish black, finely fissured and scaly, pale yellow adaxially. Ultimate branchlets ascending to pendulous, grayish green or glaucous green, rather long, to 1 m, 0.9-1.4 mm in diam.; articles 1-1.8 cm, slightly swollen at apex. Leaves erect but those of new shoots strongly recurved, 12-17 per whorl, narrowly lanceolate. Male inflorescences 1-3 cm. Cones broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, 1.2-2 cm, truncate at both ends; apex of bracteoles broadly acute to obtuse. Samaras 4-6 mm including wing. Fl. Mar-Apr, fr. Jun-Sep. 2n = 18*.

introduced; Fla.; native, e coast Australia.

Commonly near brackish water; 0-50m.

Cultivated in Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, Zhejiang [native to Australia]