Karri she-oak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Karri she-oak |
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| A. decussata, foliage and cones | |
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| A. decussata, cone detail | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Allocasuarina
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| Species: |
decussata
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
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Casuarina decussata Benth. |
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The Karri she-oak (scientific name: Allocasuarina decussata) is a special tree. It is also called karri oak. This plant is found only in the southwest part of Western Australia. It usually grows as a medium-sized tree. Sometimes, it can be a shrub. You can find it growing under taller trees in Karri forests. It also grows as a small, stunted shrub in windy places like Bluff Knoll in the Stirling Range.
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What it Looks Like
The Karri she-oak usually grows to be about 8 to 15 meters tall. In tough, windy spots like the top of Bluff Knoll, it might be a small shrub. Or it could be a tree that isn't very well-formed.
Like other plants in its family, the Karri she-oak has unique "leaves." These are actually thin, green, wiry branches called cladodes. They have tiny leaf scales arranged in rings. The cladodes are about 140 mm long. They look roughly square or X-shaped if you cut them in half. Each ring of scales has four tiny "teeth." These rings are about 7 to 9 mm apart on the branchlet.
This plant has separate male and female flowers. Both types of flowers grow on the same individual plant. After flowering, the female flowers turn into a woody cone. This cone looks like a short cylinder. Its width is usually about the same as or a bit more than its length. The fruit inside is a winged seed called a samara. It is about 7 to 9 mm long. The Karri she-oak often grows near the Acacia pentadenia. You might also see Asplenium aethiopicum ferns growing on its branches.
How it Was Named
This plant was first officially described in 1873. A botanist named George Bentham wrote about it in his book Flora Australiensis. He used plant samples collected by James Drummond near Cape Riche. Bentham first named it Casuarina decussata.
Later, in 1982, another botanist named Lawrie Johnson moved it to its current group, Allocasuarina. He did this when he updated the classification of she-oaks. The Karri she-oak is closely related to A. torulosa. That plant grows in New South Wales and Queensland.
The second part of its scientific name, decussata, is a Latin word. It means "like the letter X" or "the Roman numeral ten." This likely refers to the X-shape of its branchlets.
Where it Grows
The Karri she-oak is only found in the southwest part of Western Australia. It grows in specific areas. These include the Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest, and Warren regions. It prefers to grow in rich, loamy soil within the karri forest. However, it can also be found in much poorer soils in the Stirling Range.
Uses of the Wood
The Karri she-oak is not commonly grown by people. It is also hard to get its wood. This is because most of these trees grow in national parks. However, its wood is a pale reddish-brown color. It has special patterns that make it useful for craft projects.
See also
In Spanish: Chorilaena quercifolia para niños
Images for kids
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Bark of a young A. decussata in the Walpole-Nornalup National Park.
