Allocasuarina portuensis

Allocasuarina portuensis

Description of Allocasuarina portuensis

Allocasuarina portuensis, the Nielsen Park She-oak, is a rare and endangered species that was discovered in Nielsen Park in the mid 1980s. At the time only ten plants remained. All of the original plants have now died, but over the years new plants have been propagated and planted around Nielsen Park and other parks in the local area to keep the species from extinction.

Allocasuarina portuensis is typically a multi-stemmed shrub with smooth bark and upward reaching branches. Its cones are small, often having a rounded top with a small nipple-like projection in the centre. Its male flowers resemble strings of beads (moniliform).

Further description of Allocasuarina portuensis can be found on Plantnet.

Photos of Allocasuarina portuensis

Allocasuarina portuensis

Allocasuarina portuensis, Nielsen Park

Allocasuarina portuensis stems

Multiple stems of Allocasuarina portuensis, Nielsen Park

Allocasuarina portuensis cones

Cones of Allocasuarina portuensis, Gap Bluff

Allocasuarina portuensis male flowers

Moniliform male flowers of Allocasuarina portuensis, Nielsen Park

Comparison of teeth on Allocasuarina portuensis and Allocasuarina distyla

Erect teeth of Allocasuarina distyla (top), Recurved teeth of Allocasuarina portuensis (bottom)

Greg Potter