Forest Flora of Portuguese East Africa. 
108 
sugar estate 7 metres high, and 15 c.m. diameter of stem. Occurs north to the Zambesi and south to Cape Town, 
in alluvial swamps. See “ Forest Flora of Cape Colony,” Plate CXXXVII., fig. 2. 
but is rather local in this Province, and usually 
FAMILY LVI.— CASUARINEi^E. 
Trees and shrubs, with leafless jointed cylindrical twigs having a whorl of teeth sheathing the next section at each node. Monoecious or dioecious, the male flowers in 
terminal spikes, the female in cones terminal on short side branches. Male flower consists of 1 stamen subtended by 2 bracts; such flowers occur in several whorles forming 
lhe S pike. Female flowers without perianth, arranged in a regular cone, the long red stigmas protruding while in flower. Ovary i-celled, with 2 collateral ovules. Seed solitary, 
compressed. Branches and stems composed of hard useful timber. One genus only. 
CASUARINA. Characters same as those of the Family. Several species, mostly Australian, now widely dispersed in cultivation. 
C. africana. L. Vern. names- 10, Moeri; 11, Mchawa. A monoecious tree of erect habit, branches pointing upward, and growth widening downward. 
Young 
branches slender, 1 m.m. diameter, cylindrical, jointed at about 1-2 c.m. distance, somewhat ridged, and with about 7 teeth at each joint. Scales of the male 
inflorescence hairy. Mature cone woody, 2 c.m. long and wide, oblong, the cells i-seeded; seed 5 c.m. long, brown, winged. Tree 10-15 metres high, growing in 
erect pyramidal form on the bare sand-dunes from Inhambane northward, and apparently enjoying the sea breezes, the stem diameter being from 40 to 60 c.m 
Whether originally introduced or indigenous it is now difficult to say; it has every appearance of being indigenous, and if exotic it must have arrived long ago and 
found a congenial home. 
Plate LXXXV. i. Tree, general appearance ; 2, Branch ; 3, Portion of same, x io ; 4, Scales of inflorescence, x 20 ; 5, Male inflorescence, x 4 ; 6, Stamen, x 20 ; 7, Female inflorescence in bud, x 
4 ; 8, Same, in flower (red) ; 9, Cone ; IO, Seed. 
SERIES V.— GYMNOSPERMAi. 
Ovules naked on the cone-scales. Inflorescence usually in cones. Opinions differ as to the formation of the male inflorescence, some botanists holding that a catkin 
is i monadelphous flower with connate filaments, forming a central column from which anthers spread horizontally in definite order, others claiming that the catkin consists of a 
rachis around which are arranged many naked monandrous flowers. The latter view agrees most closely with the formation of the female inflorescence, which, though usually in 
cone form, is sometimes reduced to a single ovuliferous scale. This ovuliferous scale, whether in a cone or singly, represents an unclosed carpel, on the naked surface of which 
the ovule is produced ; 1 such scale constitutes a flower in Podocarpus, consequently in cones where several or many such scales occur each is held to be a simi ar ower 
having only 1 open carpel and no protective organs. 
FAMILY LVIL— CONIFERS. 
Dioecious or monoecious. Male flowers in catkins, each catkin consisting of many scale-like unprotected almost sessile stamens, arranged singly or in opposite and 
decussate order round a central axis, each stamen having 2 pollen-cells on its under surface, and a longer scarious connective. Pemale flowers consisting of naked ovules placed 
singly or several together on the upper surface or axil of fleshy or woody scales, arranged either singly or in cones of 2 or more. Seeds unprotected or sheltered by cone scales. 
Resinous trees, branching freely, and having linear or scale-like undivided leaves with straight vernation. 
223. PODOCARPUS. Ditecious. Male calkin axillary, simple or 3-branched, sessile or shortly pedicillate; anthers many, extrorse, sessile, spirally arranged, 2-celled, with 
an exserted connective. Female inflorescence axillary, solitary, stalked, consisting of 1 or 2 ovule-bearing scales. Ovule solitary on each scale. Seed with a hard 
shell and a fleshy skin. Leaves linear or oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous, glabrous, acute, with the midrib prominent on the under surface, and often the petiole twisted. 
Twigs ending in a scale-covered seasonal resting bud. Catkin and female inflorescence axillary along the young shoots and produced while the shoots are quite 
young. The female flowers are very inconspicuous, and the expanding growth-buds are often mistaken by casual observers for flowers. Large timber trees, forming 
the most important item in South African forestry, but almost absent from this Province. 
P. elongata, L. Her. Vern names- 1, Yellow-wood; 3, 14, Geelhout; 13, Um-koba; 15, Msongo, or Songue. Leaves evergreen, on mature trees linear or linear- 
lanceolate, 2-4 c.m. long, tapering shortly to the sharp point, twisted at the petiole, and often sub-opposite. Twigs whorled 01 scattered close to where the seasonal 
resting-bud has been. Leaves on seedling trees or side shoots 5-7 c.m. long, lanceolate, usually opposite or sub-opposite, and often distichous. Male catkin 6-8 m.m. 
