This species of Casuarina tends to occur most often in coastal sand-dune country across northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. Other related species are distributed throughout Australia. A tall, graceful tree, which can grow to 30m, it has a somewhat pendulous look with its drooping, needle-thin branchlets. Small woody ‘oak apples’ appear in early summer.

The wispy leaves and in some cases the young green oak apples were chewed by Aboriginal people as a thirst-quencher. The fruits have an extremely acidic taste and contain an acid similar to citric acid. This activates the salivary glands, thereby relieving . . .