casuarina

casuarina [kazh΄o͞o ə rē′nə]

n.

〚ModL < Malay kasuārī, CASSOWARY: so named because the twigs are similar to the bird's feathers〛

any of a genus (Casuarina) of trees of the casuarina family native chiefly to Australia, esp. a species ( C. equisetifolia) with jointed, green branchlets that bear whorls of scalelike leaves; beefwood; Australian pine

adj.

designating a family (Casuarinaceae, order Casuarinales) of dicotyledonous trees and shrubs, having slender, drooping branches

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ca·su·a·ri·na (kăzh'o͞o-ə-rīʹnə) n.

See beefwood.

  [New Latin Casuarīna, genus name, from Malay kesuari, cassowary (from the resemblance of its twigs to the drooping feathers of the cassowary).]

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Any of the chiefly Australian trees that make up the genus Casuarina (family Casuarinaceae), which have whorls of scalelike leaves and segmented stems resembling horsetails.

Several species, especially C. equisetifolia, are valued for their hard, dense, yellowish to reddish brown wood, which is strong and reputed to be resistant to termite attack. Beefwood and ironwood are common names that reflect the wood's colour and hardness.

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