Desert Oaks are restricted to specific areas around Central Australia. They are quite prominent and easily identified. Typically the main trunk is straight, thick and sturdy. The foliage, like that of the she-oak, has long, thin, drooping leaves like strands of hair. The foliage is quite dense so they provide excellent shade cover.

The roots of the tree were sometimes used as a source of water. They were dug up, cut into short lengths, about half a metre long, and drained overnight into a container. Where the branches join the main trunk of the tree, there is created cracks . . .