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Family:
Casuarinaceae
Life
> eukaryotes >
Archaeoplastida >
Chloroplastida
>
Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants)
> Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants)
> Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering
plants) > Eudicotyledons > Core Eudicots > Rosids >
Eurosid I > Order: Fagales
The 4 genera and 70 species are native to Malaysia,
Australia and Polynesia with the distribution of the coastal species Casuarina
equisetifolia extending to Madagascar and the east coast of tropical
Africa. Casuarina is the only genus occurring in southern Africa, with 2
naturalised species: Casuarina cunninghamiana
(Beefwood, Kasuarisboom)
and Casuarina
equisetifolia (Horsetail tree, Perdestertboom). Both are
declared Category 2 invader plants in South
Africa.
Casuarina equisetifolia female
(left) and male (right). [photo
H. Robertson, Iziko ©] |
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