THE CUBA REVIEW 



23 



Australian Pines Planted for Syiade and Ornament. 



The name oak is pretty generally applied to this tree, because of the fancied resemblance 

 in the color and broad pith rays of the wood to that of true oak. In the English trade the wood 

 is known as Botanj' oak, because the original shipments of the wood of certain species of 

 Casuarina came from points on Botany Bay in Australia. The name becfwood is more appli- 

 cable, and is very generally used, because the heartwood resembles dried beef in color. The 

 wood is very hard and durable, and for this reason is often called ironwood, which name it 

 shares with a number of entirely difTerent trees from, all parts of the world. The use of this 

 name will give rise to endless confusion am^ong those who are not familiar with the tree, and 

 if it is 10 be more generally introduced, in tropical America the name ironwood should be qualified 

 by a word such as Polynesia or Malay, in order to distinguish it from other so-called ironwoods. 



The Australian pine is probably native to southern Asia and Malay Archipelago, but is 

 now found all over the tropics and subtropics both cultivated and wild. The tree is very deco- 

 rative and tropical in appearance. The very nam.e Casuarina sounds tropical and foreign, 

 but it has been found, to be thoroughly hardy in Southern Florida, ^^ est Indies, and in m.any 

 parts of California, where it is no longer considered as a foreign species, but as a natuarlized 

 tree of great value. Dr. John Gifford, Cocoanut Grove, Florida, says: "The tree is not a new 

 introduction into Florida. A few trees have been planted here and there for many years, but 

 only recently have they been planted by the thousands for wind breaks, ornamental purposes, 

 and, incidentally, for timber. This tree may be planted close and clipped to form a very ])retty 

 .and effective hedge." 



In its native habitat the Australian ])ine is long-lived and attains a n-aximi.m. height of 

 150 feet and a diameter of 2 or 3 feet. It is one of the fastest if not the fastest-grow ing hard- 

 wood tree in existence. A number of these trees in Florida and Cuba are knoAvn to have 

 grown 10 feet a year for the first 3 years. It easily outgrows any of the species of Eucalyptus 

 which have been so widely advertised. It grows naturally straight, even in situations where 

 it is exposed to constant winds. This fact can be attributed to the character of the foliage which 

 consists of very small oppressed, scale-like appendages, crowded around thin and very flexible 

 branchlets which allow the wind to pass through the crown. Moreover, the wood of the young 

 branches is very flexible and the entire tree or crown yields to the strong \\ inds \nth.out l)reak- 

 ing. Trees with thick foliage would probably be uprooted. The thin branches of the Australian 

 pine look, from a distance, like pine needles, and the many-celled woody fruit resembles certain 



