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Bclah. 



(Casuarina Cambagei, R. T. Baker.) 



The common name, which is of aboriginal origin, stands alone amongst its congeners, 

 for the rest of the group of these trees have more descriptive local names, such as Bull Oak, 

 She Oak, Forest Oak, &c. It is now a well-known tree of the interior, and is differentiated 

 without difficulty from its family, " Oaks," both in the field and herbarium, but more especially 

 in a ligneous classification, for the timber is quite characteristic and has no resemblance to that 

 of any of the other Casuarinas. The common name. Oak, has been applied to all the Australian 

 Casuarinas except this one, a fact probably due to the nature of the timber, which is quite devoid 

 of the Quercus feature of all the other woods of the genus. It is very dark in colour, hard, 

 close grained, without a figure, and but for this latter defect might be classed as a " Walnut " 

 coloured timber. It dresses to a hard, firm, even surface, takes a good polish, and could 

 be used for several forms of cabinet work where solidity is a sine qua non. 



The coloured illustration is given in connection with this species to show the contrast between 

 it and other Casuarina timbers, and it will be seen, there is nothing macroscopically to associate it 

 with the timbers of other Casuarinas, the medullary rays being wanting ; the colour is also quite 

 exceptional ; in fact, as shown by me before our local Linnean Society in ign, it may be regarded 

 as the anomalous species of the genus. At a casual glance it might easily be mistaken for a 

 Myall or Brigalow, from its colour and texture, although it has no aroma such as obtains in 

 their case. 



Description of the Tree. A tree attaining a height of from 70 to 100 feet, dioecious, 

 glabrous ; branchlets glaucose or dark green in the slender form, ascending, internodes 

 varying in length up to half an inch, not prominently angled. Whorls nine to ten, 

 merous, the sheath teeth acute. Male spikes at the ends of the branchlets, in the slender 

 variety from i to 12 inches long, in the glaucous variety usually i inch long, sheathing 

 teeth erect. Cones cylindrical, about 12 to 14 lines long, and 10 to 12 broad, truncate, 

 valves obtuse, very prominent, glabrous or minutely hoary, pubescent on the exposed 

 dorsal half, with a dorsal prominence or thickening. Nuts pale coloured, 3 lines long, 

 including samara. 



Geographical Range. Interior of South Australia, New South Wales, and Queens- 

 land. 



