CSIR-NEERI Biodiversity Portal

WHISTLING PINE

Casuarina equisetifolia L.

Botanical name	: Casuarina equisetifolia L.
Synonym	: Casuarina litorea L. ex Fosberg & Sachet
Vernacular name	: Whistling Pine, Casuarina, She-oak.
Family	: Casuarinaceae
About the Tree	: A tall pine-like evergreen, dioecious or monoecious tree resembles feathery conifer in general appearance. They are rapid-growing, care free species for sites. Casuarina equisetifolia is the most popular farm forestry tree in the coastal lands of Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Tamil nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat & Karnatak. They tend to be salt tolerant, wind resistant and adaptable to moderately poor soils.
Height	: Grows up to 30-40m
Bark	: Bark is thick, pebbly textured and brownish grey in colour.
Leaf	: Apparent leaves are actually twigs and the true leaves are minute, reduced, tooth like in whorls of 7-8 per node, just visible to the naked eye when the needles are broken at a joint.
Flower	: Male flowers are borne in slender, cylindrical spikes at the twig tips. Each flower is subtended by 3 or 4 bracts and consists of a single stamen. The female flowers occur in lateral heads on non-shedding branchlets, lacking perianth, fused carpels usually enclose only two ovules.
Fruits	: Cones are about 10-20 x 10-15 mm in size. Fruit a grey or yellow-brown Winged nut (samara), pale brown, about 6-8 mm long. Seed solitary
Season	: The peak of the flowering period appears to be April through June, with fruiting from September through December. But capable of flowering for extended periods (even year-round)
Medicinal Properties Peculiar Character	: Reported to be astringent, diuretic, laxative, and tonic, It is a remedy for beriberi, colic, cough, diarrhea, dysentery, headache, nerves, pimples, sores, sore throat, stomachache, swellings, and toothache. : Characterized by its gentle frail leaves. Although they are not legumes, they do have the ability to form root nodules and fix atmospheric nitrogen.