Allocasuarina crassa
Encyclopedia
Allocasuarina crassa, commonly known as the Cape Pillar Sheoak, is a species of sheoak
native to Australia.
to a tree growing up to 14 m high. Its articles are 10-26 mm long and 1.2-4 mm in diameter, with densely pubescent furrows and, usually, from 6 to 9 teeth. The bark is smooth when young, becoming flaky with age. It is probably wind-pollinated
.
and Tasman Island
, both of which are in the Tasman National Park
where there are about 100,000 mature individuals. It has a linear extent of distribution of 10 km with an area of about 20 km2. It grows on dolerite
soils in both wet eucalypt
forest
and in coastal heath
and shrubland
. On the Cape Pillar plateau it may occur in pure, even-age stands after a long fire-free period.
. The main threat is inappropriate fire regimes. It is also sensitive to the introduced soil-borne pathogen
Phytophthora cinnamomi
.
Casuarinaceae
Casuarinaceae is a family of dicotyledonous flowering plants placed in the order Fagales, consisting of 3 or 4 genera and approximately 70 species of trees and shrubs native to the Old World tropics , Australia, and the Pacific Islands...
native to Australia.
Description
Allocasuarina crassa may vary in form from a prostrate shrubProstrate shrub
A prostrate shrub is a woody plant, most of the branches of which lie upon or just under the ground, rather than being held erect as are the branches of most trees and shrubs....
to a tree growing up to 14 m high. Its articles are 10-26 mm long and 1.2-4 mm in diameter, with densely pubescent furrows and, usually, from 6 to 9 teeth. The bark is smooth when young, becoming flaky with age. It is probably wind-pollinated
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
.
Distribution and habitat
Endemic to Tasmania, the tree is restricted to the Cape Pillar area of the Tasman PeninsulaTasman Peninsula
Tasman Peninsula is located around by road south-east of Hobart, at the south east corner of Tasmania, Australia.-Description:The Tasman Peninsula lies south and west of Forestier Peninsula, to which it is connected by an isthmus called Eaglehawk Neck...
and Tasman Island
Tasman Island
Tasman Island is an oval island, with an area of 1.2 km2, in south-eastern Australia. It is part of the Tasman Island Group, lying close to the south-eastern coast of Tasmania around the Tasman Peninsula, and is in the Tasman National Park. It is a plateau surrounded by steep dolerite cliffs,...
, both of which are in the Tasman National Park
Tasman National Park
Tasman National Park is located in eastern Tasmania, Australia, 56 kilometres east of Hobart.-History:The park was proclaimed under the Regional Forest Agreement on 30 April 1999. The Tasman Island Lighthouse is located on Tasman Island, which is part of the park...
where there are about 100,000 mature individuals. It has a linear extent of distribution of 10 km with an area of about 20 km2. It grows on dolerite
Diabase
Diabase or dolerite is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. In North American usage, the term diabase refers to the fresh rock, whilst elsewhere the term dolerite is used for the fresh rock and diabase refers to altered material...
soils in both wet eucalypt
Eucalypt
Eucalypts are woody plants belonging to three closely related genera:Eucalyptus, Corymbia and Angophora.In 1995 new evidence, largely genetic, indicated that some prominent Eucalyptus species were actually more closely related to Angophora than to the other eucalypts; they were split off into the...
forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
and in coastal heath
Heath
-Habitats:* Heath or heathland, low-growing woody vegetation, mostly consisting of heathers and related species* Heaths in the British National Vegetation Classification system...
and shrubland
Shrubland
Shrubland, scrubland, scrub or brush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally or be the result of human activity...
. On the Cape Pillar plateau it may occur in pure, even-age stands after a long fire-free period.
Status and conservation
The species is listed as rare under the Tasmanian TSP ActThreatened Species Protection Act 1995
The Threatened Species Protection Act 1995, is an act of the Parliament of Tasmania that provides the statute relating to conservation of flora and fauna. Its long title is An Act to provide for the protection and management of threatened native flora and fauna and to enable and promote the...
. The main threat is inappropriate fire regimes. It is also sensitive to the introduced soil-borne pathogen
Pathogen
A pathogen gignomai "I give birth to") or infectious agent — colloquially, a germ — is a microbe or microorganism such as a virus, bacterium, prion, or fungus that causes disease in its animal or plant host...
Phytophthora cinnamomi
Phytophthora cinnamomi
Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil-borne water mould that produces an infection which causes a condition in plants called root rot or dieback. The plant pathogen is one of the world's most invasive species and is present in over 70 countries from around the world.- Life cycle and effects on plants :P...
.