| Allocasuarina verticillata | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Eudicots |
| (unranked): | Rosids |
| Order: | Fagales |
| Family: | Casuarinaceae |
| Genus: | Allocasuarina |
| Species: | A. verticillata |
| Binomial name | |
| Allocasuarina verticillata (Lam.) L.A.S.Johnson |
|
Allocasuarina verticillata or drooping sheoak is a nitrogen fixing native tree of southeastern Australia. [1] Originally collected in Tasmania and described as Casuarina verticillata by French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in 1786, it was moved to its current genus in 1982 by Australian botanist Lawrie Johnson.[2]
It grows as a small tree with a rounded habit, reaching 4-10 metres (12-35 ft) in height.
It is found from central New South Wales south into Victoria and South Australia as well as Tasmania.
On Kangaroo Island, it is the preferred food item of the Glossy Black Cockatoo, which holds the cones in its foot and shreds them with its powerful bill before removing the seeds with its tongue.[3]