190 



The seedling oaks should be carefully conserved until they are out of reach 

 of stock. Great numbers of River Oaks have ben cut down this year (l'J02) for 

 fodder alone. 



One lays special stress on the value of the River Oak for purposes of bank 

 protection, for the reason that it has been for ages the natural bank protector 

 of these streams, and has become largely adapted to its environment. At the 

 same time the acquisition of these lands by the white man, and his method of 

 dealing with the banks and adjacent country, constitutes a marked change in 

 the conditions, and it may be that other trees are even better than the River 

 Oak for purposes of bank conservation. River Oaks have not a large tap-root ; 

 they have rather flat, spreading roots, which penetrate the rich soil and silt 

 on the bed of gravel already alluded to. When this gravel becomes bared, as 

 it does in so many places, the River Oak heels over and falls into the stream 

 just as u boulder does. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE 59. 



A. Branch bearing pistilliferous flowers. 



)5. Pistilliferous flower, enlarged. 



c. Branch bearing fruits (cones). 



D. Young cones. 



>:. Winged nut, containing seed. 



F. Branch bearing staminiferous flowers. 



G. Staminiferous flowers. 



H. Part of branch showing portions of two joints. 

 i. Whorled bracts, representing leaves, opened out. 



Casuarina stricta, Ait. 

 THE DKOOPIKG SHE-OAK. 



Botanical Name. Stricta, Latin (drawn out, i.e., into a narrow bundle) ; 

 hence, speaking cf the branches of a plant, rigid or erect. Aiton, in his 

 original description of this species, speaks of it as the " Upright Casuarina/' 

 As Bentham has already pointed out, its branches are only exceptionally 

 rigid. But the " Mountain Oak " of the Dubbo district, for example, is very 

 erect in habit, and a similar habit has been noted from other localities. The 

 female trees are more strict (erect) than the males, and often quite the 

 reverse of drooping. 



Vernacular Names. The commonest name of this tree is simply " She- 

 Oak." It is often called " Mountain Oak " in the western districts, for 

 obvious reasons. It is not easy to submit a suitable vernacular name, 

 especially as few people give it any particular designation, and it bears the 

 somewhat unfortunate botanical name, " stricta." I submit the name 

 " Drooping She-Oak," which is not a new one, and which is fairly descriptive, 

 for general acceptance. I have known it called " Black Oak " at Deniliquin. 

 "Bull Oak" at Wybong, and "Sour Oak" (because of the taste of the 

 branchlets) at Denman close by. 



Leaves (Branclilets) . In cases of severe thirst, relief may be obtained 

 from chewing the foliage of this and other species, which being of an acid 

 nature, produces a flow of saliva a fact well known to bushmen who have 

 traversed waterless portions of the country. This acid is closely allied to 

 citric acid, and may prove identical with it. The branchlets of this species 

 appear to be more sour than those of any other. Children chew the youn? 

 cones, which they call " oak apples." 



This is a useful fodder tree in South Australia, Victoria, and southern 

 New South Wales. Mr. S. Dixon states that in Port Lincoln (S.A.) the 



