Bull 577 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. (2025) 18 (3): 577-610. https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.3.0577 ORIGINAL ARTICLE TAXONOMIC REVISION OF THE FAMILY CASUARINACEAE R. BR., 1814 (ORDER, FAGALES) IN EGYPT Fatema S. Mohamed*, Rim Hamdy** and Essam M. Abd-Elkhader*** *Flora and Phyto-taxonomy Research Department, Horticultural Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. **Department of Botany and Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt. ***Timber Trees Department, Horticultural Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt. Corresponding author: rhamdy@sci.cu.edu.eg Recived: 20 Jan. 2025, Revised: 11 April 2025., Accepted: 13 April 2025, Published:20 June 2025 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ABSTRACT The taxonomic features of the Casuarinaceae family were carefully examined to determine which characters were most trustworthy for taxonomic delimitation. Morphological characteristics that represented habit, leaf teeth, article, phyllichnia, male spike, female cone, samara, and seed were used in our evaluation. Fieldwork revealed that seven taxa were present, among which four species belonged to the genus Casuarina L., 1759. On the other hand, herbarium studies identified the previous record of three species belonging to the genus Allocasuarina L.A.S. Johnson, 1982, nevertheless could not be found in the field. Casuarina cunninghamiana Miq., 1848 and Casuarina equisetifolia L., 1759 were represented in Egypt by the subspecies cunninghamiana and the subspecies incana (Benth.) L.A.S. Johnson, 1982 respectively. For each taxon, a thorough description of the family, genus, and species was given, along with images and synonyms. Moreover, a constructed identification key to the taxa of Casuarinaceae is included. This investigation demonstrated the significance of morphological characteristics for taxonomic assessment among the Casuarinaceae taxa surveyed in Egypt. The numerical analysis supported the separation of the two genera, Allocasuarina and Casuarina. Keywords: Allocasuarina, Casuarina, Casuarinaceae, Numerical analysis, Taxonomy. INTRODUCTION The Casuarinaceae family comprises four genera and ninety-one species of shrubs and trees, and native to Australia, Southeast Asia, Malesia, Papuasia, and the Pacific Islands. Johnson (1980, 1982) separated many of the species that were previously included in the genus Casuarina L., 1759 and reclassified them into the new genera Gymnostoma (1980 and 1982), Allocasuarina (Johnson, 1982), and Ceuthostoma (Johnson, 1988). Among the angiosperms, BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORYMUSEUM Iraq Natural History Research Center & Museum, University of Baghdad https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home Copyright © Bulletin of the Iraq Natural History Museum Online ISSN: 2311-9799, Print ISSN: 1017-8678 https://doi.org/10.26842/binhm.7.2025.18.3.0577 https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1960-3324 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7777-693X https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2764-5899 mailto:rhamdy@sci.cu.edu.eg https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ https://jnhm.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BINHM/Home 578 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae this family is distinct and lacks close relatives. A phylogenetic study of the family later supported the monophyly of these genera (Sogo et al., 2001; Dorothy et al., 2003). This family was the only one placed in the order Verticillatae in the Wettstein system. Similarly, Casuarinaceae was the only family assigned to the order Casuarinales in the Engler, Cronquist, and Kubitzki systems (Beadle, 1981; Turnbull,1990 ; Bousquet, 1994). Numerous criticisms have been raised regarding the classification of many new Allocasuarina species and the division of Casuarina into four genera (Hwang, 1990, 1991a, b, 1992; Crisp, 1991; Johnson, 1991). According to Johnson and Wilson (1989), Allocasuarina was the most derived genus, whereas Gymnostoma and Ceuthostoma were the more primitive genera of the family. Four genera have been recognized based on the findings of a study conducted by Sogo et al. (2001) on the family's matK and rbcL sequences. Extreme morphological reduction and a distinctive combination of morphological characteristics defined the family (e.g., drooping equisetoid twigs, reduced scale-like leaves in whorls forming toothed sheaths at each node, inflorescence with alternating whorls of tooth- like bracts and reduced flowers, wind-pollination, woody cone-like inflorescence, winged samaras as fruits (Dorothy et al., 2003). The whorls of leaves at the nodes are fused to the stem throughout the length of the internode above, forming the ridges, according to Metcalfe and Chalk (1979). Their lateral margins joined the distal part of the leaves at the next higher node to form the sheath that envelops the next internode's base. The tips of the leaves formed the teeth. Actinorhizal woody plants in the Casuarinaceae family can fix nitrogen from the atmosphere when associated with the Actinomycete Frainkia. Important tree species in the family have a great chance of being used for afforestation in tropical and subtropical climates, including arid and semiarid regions (El-Lakany, 1983 a, b; Turnbull, 1990). The scarcity of data on Casuarina in Egypt may indicate the need for a taxonomic revision. In many regions, including Egypt, ecological and botanical surveys may have been insufficient or outdated, leading to gaps in knowledge regarding species distribution, population status, and potential threats. The current study aims to provide a more accurate diagnostic key for the species of Casuarina cultivated in Egypt. MATERIALS AND METHODS Plant materials: This work investigated seven species belonging to two genera of Casuarinaceae in Egypt. The morphological information used in this study was derived from analyses of more than 150 herbarium specimens deposited at the Agricultural Research Centre, Flora and Phytotaxonomy Herbarium, CAIM, and Cairo University Herbarium, CAI. The acronyms for herbaria follow Thiers (2020). Additionally, digital photographs of authentic specimens from several online herbaria were examined. In addition, the authors collected fresh specimens of the studied taxa from public or private gardens and avenues in Egypt between January 2023 and December 2024. 579 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Voucher specimens of the taxa under study are kept at Cairo University Herbarium (CAI). Identification and updated nomenclature were revised and confirmed using the available literature, including: Brenan (1949), Dale and Greenway (1961), Täckholm and Drar (1969), White (1962), Sykes (1970), Badran et al. (1976) Woodroffe (1985), Wilmot-Dear (1985, 1991), Wilson and Johnson (1989), Jones (1991), George et al. (1993), Govaerts (1999), Fairhurst (2004), Iwatsuki et al. (2006), Hokche et al. (2008), Oppenheimer (2011), Girmansyah (2013) Muer et al. (2020) and Pusalkar et al. (2022). Morphological characters: A total of 43 characters- 16 quantitative and 27 qualitative- were observed. The terms for the traits were taken from the Kew Plant Glossary (Beentje, 2016). The remaining characters were scored as multistate, such as leaf arrangement (opposite, spiral, or alternate), while thirty were rated bistate. A stereomicroscope was used to examine and measure the collected specimens: Wild Heerbrugg, M1B at CAI and a stereomicroscope (P 202X 35783) at CAIM. Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis of the different morphological features was based on hierarchical cluster analysis. The resulting data revealed certain morphological correlations among the species under study. Characters and character states were coded as multistate characters. The interval numbers of morphological characters were used for the studied species (Tab. 1). The data were treated using Pearson correlation in a data matrix to measure the degree of similarity, using SPSS version 22 (SPSS, 2013). The output was plotted as a UPGMA (Unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean) dendrogram (Diag.1). Average linkage cluster analysis between taxa and the rescaled distance cluster combination served as the foundation for the dendrogram (Sneath and Sokal, 1973). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Brief descriptions of Casuarina L., 1759 have been published for Egypt very infrequently (e.g., Bircher, 1960; Täckholm and Drar, 1969; Youssef and Hamdy, 2013). All available data about the genus in Egypt are compiled in Table (1). Casuarina was introduced to Egypt in the 19th century; the oldest documented record is of C. stricta growing in Ibrahim Pacha's garden on Roda Island, where it flourished from 1830 to 1850. This species' wood was exported from Egypt to exhibits in Cologne in 1875 and Paris in 1878. The tree was also documented in Cairo's Ezbekiya garden (Delchevalerie, 1875; Sickenberger, 1901). Concurrently, C. equisetifolia was cultivated in Cairo, Alexandria (Figari, 1865), the khedivial garden in Shubra (Delchevalerie, 1871), along the canals of Ismailia (Barbey- Boissier and Barbey, 1882) and Suez (Bonaparte, 1904), documented in the works of Draper (1898), Ascherson and Schweinfurth (1887), Muschler (1912) and Brown (1917). In her gardens of Hesperides, Bircher (1960) mentioned seven species of Casuarina in El Saff Garden. In 1969, Täckholm and Drar added eight more species. 580 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Casuarinaceae R. Br., Voy. Terra Austral. 2: 571(1814), nom. cons. Dioecious or monoecious trees or shrubs. Branchlets wiry, slender, and articulate, with several basal articles and one to many- elongated articles. Articles have many ridges (phyllichnia) and teeth (reduced leaves), phyllichnia being divided by deep, closed furrows that contain the stomates. There are 4-20 whorls of leaves reduced to teeth at the tip of each article of the assimilatory branchlets. Inflorescences consist of alternating whorls of tooth-like bracts; within each bract are two lateral scale-like bracteoles, persistent, occasionally deciduous in male Allocasuarina, and a single flower. Male inflorescence with a short to long spike. Male flowers have one or two tepals, hooded, scale-like, and deciduous at anthesis; one stamen; a two-locular, basifixed anther. Female inflorescence forms a globular or ovoid head. Female flowers: perianth absent; two-united carpels; two ovules, rarely four; style with two branched, reddish in colour. Infructescence with woody cone, the two floral bracteoles enlarged as valves. Fruit with a winged nut (samara). Seed solitary in each samara; cotyledons large; endosperm absent; often contains more than one embryo. Table (1): Historical data of the Casuarina species recorded in Egypt with their currently accepted names. O ld na m e ci te d in lit er at ur e C ur re nt ly ac ce pt ed na m e Fi ga ri (1 86 4- 5) D el ch ev al er ie (1 87 1) B ar be y an d B ar be y (1 88 2) D el ch ev al er ie (1 87 5) A sc he rs on an d Sc hw ei nf ur th (1 88 7) D el ch ev al er ie (1 89 7) D ra pe r (1 89 8) D el ch ev al er ie (1 89 9) Si ck en be rg er (1 90 1) B lo m fie ld (1 90 1) B on ap ar te (1 90 4) M us ch le r (1 91 2) B ro w n (1 91 7) B ir ch er (1 96 0) Tä ck ho lm an d D ra r (1 96 9) H am dy et al .( 20 07 ) H am dy (2 01 0) Y ou ss ef an d H am dy (2 01 3) C as ua -r in a di st yl a- V en t. 1. A llo ca su - ar in a di st yl a (V en t.) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 C as ua -r in a fr as er i-a na M iq . 2. A llo ca su -a rin a fr as er ia na (M iq .) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 1 C as ua -r in a hu eg e- lia na M iq . 3. A llo ca su -a rin a hu eg el ia na (M iq .) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 581 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. C as ua -r in a le pt oc la - da M iq . 4. A llo ca su -a rin a lit to ra lis (S al isb .) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 C as ua -r in a su be ro sa O tt o & A .D ie tr . 1 1 C as ua -r in a lit to ra lis Sa lis b. 1 C as ua -r in a na na Si eb er ex Sp re ng . 5. A llo ca su -a ri na na na (S ie be r ex Sp re ng .) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 C as ua -r in a to ru lo sa A ito n 6. A llo ca su ar in a to ru lo sa (A ito n) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 1 1 C as ua -r in a bi cu sp id at a B en th . 7. A llo ca su -a rin a tr ic ho do n (M iq .) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 C as ua -r in a qu ad ri va lv is L ab ill . 8. A llo ca su - ar in a ve rti ci lla ta (L am .) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 1 582 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae C as ua -r in a ve rti ci ll- at a L am . 1 C as ua -r in a st ric ta A ito n 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 C as ua -r in a le pi do ph lo ia F. M ue ll. 9. C as ua rin -a cr ist at a M iq . 1 C as ua -r in a cu nn in gh am ia na M iq . 10 .C as ua rin a cu nn in gh am ia na M iq . 1 1 1 1 C as ua -r in a eq ui se ti- fo lia L . 11 .C as ua ri na eq ui se ti- fo lia L . 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 C as u- ar in a gl au ca Si eb er ex Sp re ng . 12 .C as ua ri na gl au ca Si eb er ex Sp re ng . 1 1 1 583 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. C as ua -r in a m on ta na L es ch .e x M iq . 13 .C as ua rin a ju ng hu hn ia na M iq . 1 C as ua -r in a ru m ph ia na M iq . 14 .G ym no st om a ru m ph ia nu m (M iq .) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 C as ua -r in a su m at ra na Ju ng h. ex de V ri es e 15 .G ym n- os to m a su m at ra nu m (J un gh .e x de V ri es e) L .A .S .J oh ns on 1 1 1 1 3 1 1 1 5 1 2 1 1 1 7 15 3 2 2 Key to species of Allocasuarina and Casuarina cultivated in Egypt: - Mature samaras red-brown to black in colour, shining; cone bracteoles thick; teeth 4-14 per whorl……….…………………………………………………...…..…. I. Allocasuarina - Mature samaras grey or yellow-brown in colour, dull; cone bracteoles thin; teeth 5-20 per whorl ………………………….……………………………..……...…… II. Casuarina I a. Teeth 4-5 ………………………..………………………………..…...…... A. torulosa I b. Teeth 7-9 Cone sessile or subsessile, 20-40 x 15-20 mm, warty……………….…. . A. fraseriana Cone pedunculate, 10-30 x 12-20 mm, pubescent ………………..……...... A. littoralis II a. Phyllichnia narrow and angular, teeth 6-9 Branchlets and cones densely pubescent, cone 10-24 x 9-13 mm, samara 6-8 mm long………………………………………………………………......….. C. equisetifolia Branchlets and cones minutely pubescent, cone 7-14 x 4-6 mm, samara 3-4 mm long………………………………………………………….....…... C. cunninghamiana 584 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae II b. Phyllichnia broad and rounded, teeth 8-20. Teeth 12-20, phyllichnia smooth, samara 3.5-5 mm long, cone bracteole 2- 2.5 mm wide peduncle 3-12 mm long ……………..……………………………….…...…... C. glauca Teeth 8-13, phyllichnia wrinkled, samara 6-10 mm long, cone bracteole 3.5- 4 mm wide, peduncle 1-4 mm long………..……..…………………………….……...…... C. cristata I. Allocasuarina L.A.S. Johnson, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 6: 73 (1982). Description: Trees or shrubs, dioecious or monoecious. Young, persistent branchlets usually distinguishable from the deciduous branchlets. Branchlet articles have deep furrows, concealing the stomates. Leaves reduced to teeth in whorls of 4–20. Male inflorescence with a simple, short to elongated spike; bracteoles thickly woody, and convex. Female inflorescence with a small globose or ovoid head on short lateral branchlets ('peduncles'). Cones borne among or below assimilatory branchlets, either pedunculate or sessile; bracts are thin in exposed portion; bracteoles considerably thickened and often divided, so that the dorsal portion forms one or more distinct protuberances. Samara body glabrous, red-brown to black, and shining. Type species: A. torulosa (Aiton) L.A.S. Johnson The native range of this genus is Australia (POWO, 2025). Key to the sections of Allocasuarina: A. Trees, bark fissured and reddish, male spike bracteoles persistent B. Teeth 4-5, Cone sessile or subsessile, 2-4 x 1.5-2 cm, warty …….. Sect.1. Allocasuarina BB. Teeth 6-8, Cone pedunculate, 15-23 mm long, 1-3 x 1.2-2 cm, pubescent……………………………………………………..….... Sect. 2. Amorphopitys AA. Shrubs, bark fissured and greyish, male spike bracteoles deciduous ………………………………………………………………….....…… Sect. 3. Cylindropitys Section 1. Allocasuarina Trees dioecious or monoecious; penultimate branchlets woody. Branchlets not waxy; elongated articles numerous, terete or quadrangular, smooth; teeth not overlapping. Male spikes elongate; bracteoles persistent. Cone bracts inconspicuous; bracteoles with protuberance 8–20-parted. Samaras glabrous, mid-brown to black. Type: A. torulosa (Aiton) L.A.S.Johnson Allocasuarina torulosa (Salisb.) L.A.S. Johnson, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 6: 76 (1982). ‘Forest oak, Rose she-oak' Synonyms: = Casuarina torulosa Aiton in Hort. Kew. 3: 320 (1789) = Casuarina lugubris Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 2 (1796) = Casuarina tenuissima Sieber ex Spreng., Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 804 (1826) = Casuarina torulosa f. graciliorMiq., J.G.C. Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 1: 640 (1845) = Casuarina ericoides Gentil, Pl. Cult. Serres Jard. Bot. Brux.: 48 (1907) 585 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Description: Usually dioecious, a tree growing to 12–16 m in high. Bark fissured, reddish, and thin. Branchlets thin, filiform, drooping, up to 14 cm long; articles terete, quadrangular on young growth, 5–6 x 0.4–0.5 mm, minutely pubescent in furrows; phyllichnia slightly rounded; teeth number 4 or 5, erect, and short with 0.3–0.5 mm in length. Male spikes slender and filiform, 10– 25 mm long, compact, with 7–12 whorls per cm; anther spikes measure 0.5– 0.6 mm long. Cones shortly cylindrical or barrel-shaped, warty, occasionally densely pubescent, and pendent or spreading; peduncle with 11–20 mm in length; cone body measures 15–27 x 12–23 mm; bracts inconspicuous; bracteoles acute, with protuberance divided into 8– 12 small tubercles that slightly shorter than or as long as bracteole body. Length of samara 7– 10 mm long, mid to dark brown. Seed is 1.5-2 mm long, brown, glabrous; wing with 3.5-5 mm in length, pale brown, glabrous, entire, and obtuse. Timber reddish, strong, and close- grained (Pl. 1). Global distribution: Indigenous to E. Australia (POWO, 2025). Herbarium specimens examined: El Saff, Alfred Bircher North eastern garden, 15.v.1961, V. Tãckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s. n. (CAI); El Saff, Alfred Bircher Eastern Garden, 1.vi.1961, V. Tãckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s. n. (CAI); El Saff, Alfred Bircher North eastern garden, 23.vi.1961, V. Tãckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s.n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin (Tree 2 from south at entrance), 25.ix.1961, V. Tãckholm and M. Drar s. n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin (Tree 3 from south at entrance), 25.ix.1961, V. Tãckholm and M. Drar s. n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin, 19.xii.1961, V. Tãckholm s. n. (CAI). Notes: It was first introduced in 1929 by the Ministry of Agriculture's Horticultural Department from the Botanic Gardens in Rome. In 1961, a few magnificent trees were observed flourishing in Alfred Bircher’s Garden at El Saff, Giza (Täckholm and Drar, 1969). The tree wasn't recorded by the authors in 2024. 586 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Plate (1): Field photograph of Allocasuarina torulosa; (A) Sheet, (B) Branchlet, (C) Male inflorescence, (D) female inflorescence (cone), (E) Samara. 587 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Section 2. Amorphopitys L.A.S. Johnson, Fl. Australia 3: 191 (1989) Dioecious trees; penultimate with branchlets woody. Bark scaly or corky. Branchlets occasionally waxy; elongate articles and numerous, terete, verruculose, or smooth; teeth not overlapping or marcescent. Male spikes are elongate; bracteoles are persistent. Cone bracts are somewhat thickened but inconspicuous; bracteoles have a protuberance 4–8 parted. Samara glabrous and very dark- brown to black. Type: A. fraseriana (Miq.) L.A.S.Johnson Allocasuarina fraseriana (Miq.) L.A.S. Johnson, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 6: 75 (1982). ‘Western she-oak’ Synonyms: = Casuarina fraserianaMiq., Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. Amsterdam, ser. 2, 13: 59 (1848). = Casuarina stricta var. fraseriana (Miq.) Miq., Flora 48: 20 (1865). = Casuarina torulosaMiq., J.G.C. Lehmann, Pl. Preiss. 1: 639 (1845), nom. illeg. = Casuarina nana Schltdl., Linnaea 20: 574 (1847), nom. illeg. Description: Tree 5–12 m high. Bark fissured reddish, and thick. Branchlets ascending, dark green, slender, striped, up to 30 cm long; articles 5-7 x 0.6–0.9 mm, occasionally strongly waxy; phyllichnia rounded, verruculose or smooth; teeth 6–8, somewhat spreading, 0.7–1.2 mm long. Male spikes 3–8 cm long, 5 or 6 whorls per cm; anther 0.7–1.2 mm long. Cones coarse, sessile or subsessile, usually cylindrical, warty, pubescent at least when young, peduncle up to 4-6 mm long; cone body 20-25 x 19-22 mm; valves thickened at apex into a large truncate protuberance and placed side by side on the same level; bracteoles broadly acute to obtuse, protuberance slightly shorter than bracteole body and divided into 4–8 bodies, pungent or obtuse. Samara with 5-8 mm in length. Seed with 2-3 mm length, brown, and warty; wing with 4-6 mm in length, broad, warty, obtuse and whitish. Timber reddish, strong, and fairly tough with nice oak grain (Pl. 2). Global distribution: Indigenous to SW. Australia (POWO, 2025). Herbarium specimens examined: Kirdasa, 8. xii.1928, Simpson 5707 (CAIM); Giza, 4.v.1952, M. Drar 017499 (CAIM); Giza, 22. vii.1959, M. Drar s.n. (CAI); Orman Garden, v.1961, V. Tãckholm s.n. (CAI). Notes: Until 1952, it was cultivated in Egypt along a canal in the Faculty of Agriculture at Cairo University in Giza. Specimens of this plant are housed in the Agricultural Museum in Doqqi. In 1969, several trees were found in Alfred Bircher's El Saff gardens in Giza and one tree was present in the Orman garden (Täckholm and Drar, 1969). In 2024, the authors did not record any remaining trees. 588 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Plate (2): Field photographs of Allocasuarina fraseriana; (A) Sheet, (B) Branchlet, (C) Male inflorescence, (D) female inflorescence (cone), (E) Samara. 589 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Section 3. Cylindropitys L.A.S. Johnson, Fl. Australia 3:191(1989) Description: Dioecious or monoecious shrubs or trees; penultimate branchlets woody. Bark smooth or fissured. Branchlets occasionally with a waxy bloom; elongate articles numerous, terete, smooth or occasionally verruculose; teeth may be overlapping and marcescent. Male spikes elongate, occasionally only shortly so; bracteoles persistent or rarely deciduous individually. Cone bracts inconspicuous; bracteoles have a protuberance that is entire or rarely 2- or 3-parted. Samaras are glabrous, and red-brown to black. Type: A. littoralis (Salisb.) L.A.S. Johnson. Allocasuarina littoralis (Salisb.) L.A.S. Johnson, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 6: 76 (1982). ‘Black she-oak’ Synonyms: = Casuarina littoralis Salisb., Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton: 2 (1796) = Casuarina ramuliflora Otto & A.Dietr., Allg. Gartenzeitung 9: 163 (1841) = Casuarina suberosa Otto & A.Dietr., Allg. Gartenzeitung 9: 155 (1841) = Casuarina leptocladaMiq., Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. Amsterdam, ser. 2, 13: 41 (1848). = Casuarina moesta F.Muell. ex Miq., Ned. Kruidk. Arch. 4: 98 (1856) = Casuarina miquelii Hook.f. ex Miq., A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 16(2): 337 (1868) = Casuarina elegans Gentil, Pl. Cult. Serres Jard. Bot. Brux.: 48 (1907) = Casuarina filiformis Gentil, Pl. Cult. Serres Jard. Bot. Brux.: 48 (1907) Description: Tree 7–12 m high. Bark fissured, greyish, and thick. Branchlets ascending, slender, glabrous, up to 20 cm long; articles 4–10 x 0.4–1 mm, smooth, and pubescent in furrows; phyllichnia angular or rounded with median ridge; teeth 6–8, erect or rarely spreading, not overlapping, 0.3–0.9 mm long, usually not marcescent. Male spikes 2–5 cm long, 6–12 whorls per cm; bracteoles persistent anther 0.4–0.8 mm long. Cones cylindrical, rarely broader than long, pubescent at least when young; peduncle 8-10 mm long; cone body 10–20 x 8–15 mm; valves prominent, glabrous with a thick scale-like transverse dorsal outgrowth baselly; bracteoles thin, broadly acute to obtuse, thick pyramidal protuberance shorter than bracteole body, occasionally with two lateral bodies. Samara 4–8 mm long, dark brown to black. Seed pale brown, glabrous, 1.5-2 mm long; wing pale brown, glabrous, entire, and obtuse, with 3-5 mm in length. Timber brownish, coarse-grained, hard, and tough (Pl. 3). Global distribution: Indigenous to E. and SE. Australia (POWO, 2025). Herbarium specimens examined: Dakhalia, Aga, 16.vi.1928, E. Greiss s.n. (CAI); Cairo, Basatin, 30.vii.1959,M. Drar s.n. (CAI). Notes: From the Agriculture and Stock Department in Hobart, Tasmania, it was brought to Egypt in 1923 by the Department of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture (Täckholm and Drar, 1969). In 2024, the tree had not been observed by the authors. 590 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Plate (3): Field photographs of Allocasuarina littoralis; (A) Sheet, (B) Branchlet, (C) Male inflorescence, (D) Female inflorescence (cone), (E) Samara. 591 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. II- Casuarina L., Amoen. Acad. 4:143 (1759) Trees dioecious or monoecious. Young persistent branchlets differ from deciduous branchlets by having shorter articles and shape or size of leaves (‘teeth’). Articles terete and smooth; furrows deep and closed, concealing stomates. Leaves in whorls of 5–20. Male inflorescences simple elongate spikes; bracteoles persistent. Female inflorescences on short lateral branchlets (‘peduncles’) differ in appearance from the vegetative branchlets. Cones borne among or below assimilatory branchlets, pedunculate, and pubescent at least when immature; bracts thin in the exposed portion, not vertically expanded; bracteoles protrude from cone surface, never considerably thickened and always lacking a dorsal protuberance. Samara body glabrous, pale yellow-brown or greyish, dull. Type species: C. equisetifolia L. The native range of this genus is Tropical Asia to W. Pacific (POWO, 2025). Casuarina equisetifolia L., Amoen. Acad. 4: 143 (1759) Description: Tree 6–35 m high. Bark scaly, grey-brown, and thick. New shoots have erect teeth. Branchlets prominent, drooping, pubescent, up to 30 cm long; articles 5–10 x 0.7–1.0 mm; furrows usually densely pubescent; phyllichnia angular or occasionally flat in older growth, glabrous or pubescent; teeth 6-8, erect, 0.3–0.8 mm long, ciliate at margin, acute, not marcescent. Male spikes 20–40 mm long, 7–11 whorls per cm; anther 0.6–0.8 mm long. Cones sparsely pubescent to tomentose; peduncle 8–13 mm long; cone body 10–20 x 9–13 mm; bracteoles acute, pubescent. Samara 5-8 mm long. Seed brown, glabrous, and 1-2 mm; wing acute, pubescent, entire, brown, 3-5 mm long. Timber dark, coarse-grained, and hard. In Egypt, Casuarina equisetifolia tends toward subsp. incana characterized by articles 0.7– 1 mm in diameter; phyllichnia prominently angular to flat in older growth, often on the same branchlet, usually densely pubescent (Pl. 4). Casuarina equisetifolia L. subsp. incana (Benth.) L.A.S. Johnson, J. Adelaide Bot. Gard. 6: 79 (1982).’Coastal she-oak; horsetail she-oak; ironwood; beach she-oak; beach casuarina; whistling tree’ Synonyms: ≡ Casuarina equisetifolia var. incana Benth., Fl. Austral. 6: 197 (1873) = Casuarina incana A.Cunn. ex Benth., Fl. Austral. 6: 197 (1873) Global distribution: Indigenous to E. Australia, Vanuatu to New Caledonia (POWO, 2025). Herbarium specimens examined: Giza, Saqiet Mekki, 3.i.1928, Simpson 5484 (CAIM); Cairo, Spring 1952, S. El-sisi s.n. (CAI); Faculty of Agriculture gardens, ix.1953, N. El Hadidi s. n. (CAI); Cairo, Basatin, 30.vii.1959, M. Drar s.n. (CAI); Suez, 31. viii.1959, V. Tãckholm and M. Drar s.n. (CAI); El Saff, Alfred Bircher’s garden, 15. v.1961, V.Täckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s.n. (CAI); Behiera, Ezbet El Sitt , 30.viii.1961, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Giza, Horticultural Department, 5.ix.1961, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Abou Rawash sewage farm, 19.xi.1961, V. Täckholm and I. El Sayed s. n. (CAI); Abu Simbel, ii.1963, M. Abdallah (CAIM); Giza, Faculty of Pharmacy garden, Boulaq El Dakrour, 15.x.1963, M. El Mahdi s.n. (CAI); Ras El Hekma, 4.v.1966, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Cairo, Gezira Aquarium garden, 592 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Zamalek, 19.iv.1976, J. Chrtek s.n. (CAI); Alexandria, Spring.1976, J. Chrtek s.n. (CAI); Aswan, 12. vii. 2003, H. Rofaeel 29400 (CAIM); The Aquarium garden, 6.ix.2023, F. Sami 2700 (CAIM); Damietta, Central garden, 28.ix.2024, R. Hamdy s.n. (CAI); Cairo, Maadi club, 1.x.2024, R. Hamdy s.n. (CAI). Note: Before the mid-19th century, it was brought to Egypt. It was also reintroduced in 1923 under the name C. muricata from the Taj Mahal and other Government gardens in Agra, India. In 1961, specimens were observed growing in many locations, including Suez, Burg el Arab, Cairo's Ezbekiya Garden, the Horticultural Department in Giza, Gebl Asfar Sewage Farm, Inshas Estate, etc. (Täckholm and Drar,1969). Today, it has successfully established and spread throughout Egypt. 593 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Plate (4): Field photographs of Casuarina equisetifolia; (A) Trunk, (B) Sheet from Egypt, (C) Branchlet showing erect, large light grey teeth without a transverse band at the base, (D) Male inflorescence, (E) Female inflorescence (cone), (F) Samara. 594 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Casuarina cunninghamiana Miq., Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. Amsterdam, ser. 2, 13: 56 (1848). ‘River oak; river she-oak; creek oak’ In Egypt, Casuarina cunninghamiana tends toward subsp. cunninghamiana characterized by teeth 8–10, yellow baselly, dark brown towards the apex, marcescent, phyllichnia prominently angular, and cone bracteoles with broadly acute. Synonym: = Casuarina equisetifolia var. microcarpa F. Muell., Fragm. 6: 17 (1867) Description: Tree 15–35 m high. Bark scaly, grey-brown, and thick. Branchlets ascending, slender, fairly ribbed; articles 4–9 x 0.4–0.7 mm, mostly glabrous; edges of furrows often marked by a slight ridge; phyllichnia angular to flat with a median rib; teeth 8–10, 0.3–0.5 mm long, erect, marcescent. Male spikes with 20–40 mm in length, 11–13 whorls per cm; anther 0.4–0.7 mm long. Cones are sparsely pubescent; peduncle 2–9 mm long; cone body 7– 12 x 4–6 mm; bracteoles broadly acute, prominent with dorsal keel. Samara with 3–4 mm in length. Seed pubescent, brown, 0.4–0.5 mm long; wing pubescent, brown, obtuse, entire, 0.8– 1 mm long. Timber pale brown, hard, and coarse-grained (Pl. 5). Global distribution: Native to SE. New Guinea to E. Australia (POWO, 2025). Herbarium specimens examined: El Khanka, 26.i.1923, Simpson 5484 (CAIM); Kirdasa, 10. xi.1926, G. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Giza pyramids, 1. i.1927, G. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Kirdasa, 5. xii.1927, Simpson 5602 (CAIM); Dokki field, Giza, vi.1951, M. Drar 17496 (CAIM); Faculty of Agriculture, Giza, ix.1953, N. El Hadidi s.n. (CAI); Faculty of Agriculture, Giza, xii. 1953, N. El Hadidi s.n. (CAI); Minya El Qameh, Sharkia, 11,x,1957, S. Ibrahim s.n. (CAI); Met Yazid, along Banha-Zagazig road, 11.X.1957, S. Ibrahim s.n. (CAI); Kom Aushim, Faiyum, 21. i.1959, V. Tãckholm s.n. (CAI); Port Tawfik, Suez, 31.viii.1959, V. Tãckholm and M. Drar s.n. (CAI); Cairo-Alexandria desert road near Mena House, 7.9.1959., V. Tãckholm s.n. (CAI); Barrage, 7.ix. 1959, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Kirdasa is not far from the Pyramids and Basatin Gardens, 7. ix.1959, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Helwan near the cement factory, 23.x.1959, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Rod El Farag School, 11.x.1960, Youssef Mousaa s.n. (CAI); Abu Rawash sewage farm, 19.x.1961, V. Täckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s.n. (CAI); Basatin, 19. xii. 1961, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Aswan, 3.i.1998, H. Rofaeel, 29342 (CAIM); Manial Palace, 13. viii.2023, F. Sami 704 (CAIM); The Aquarium garden, 6.ix.2023, F. Sami 712 (CAIM); Dokki, 17.ix.2023, F. Sami (CAIM)720 ; El-Saff, Giza, 13.xi.2023, F. Sami 722 (CAIM); Cairo, Horreyah garden, 15.xi.2023, F. Sami (CAIM); Belbeis, El-Sharkiah, 23.xi.2023, F. Sami 722 (CAIM); Damietta, 28.ix.2024, R. Hamdy s. n. (CAI); El Maadi, 4.xii.2024, R. Hamdy s.n. (CAI); El Maadi, 14. i. 2025, R. Hamdy s.n. (CAI). Notes: In 1919 and 1927, the Department of Horticulture, Ministry of Agriculture, brought it to Egypt from the Forest Department in Cape Town, South Africa, and the Botanic Garden in Saharanpur, India, respectively (Täckholm and Drar, 1969). In Egypt, it is the most prevalent species of casuarina. 595 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Plate (5): Field photographs of Casuarina cunninghamiana; (A) Trunk, (B) Sheet from Egypt, Helwan, near the cement factory, 23.x.1959, V. Täckholm (CAI), (C) Branchlet showing erect yellowish-green teeth that have grayish tips with brown transverse band halfway between the tip of teeth and their base, (D) Male inflorescence, (E) Female inflorescence (cone), (F) Samara. 596 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Casuarina glauca Sieber ex Spreng., Syst. Veg., ed. 16. 3: 803 (1826). ‘Swamp Oak’ Synonyms: = Casuarina obtusaMiq. in A.P.de Candolle, Prodr. 16(2): 334 (1868) = Casuarina torulosa Miq., Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. Amsterdam, ser. 2, 13: 75 (1848), nom. illeg. Description: Tree 8–20 m high, frequently producing root suckers. Bark scaly, grey-brown, and thick. Branchlets thick, erect, glaucous, up to 38 cm long; articles 8–20 x 0.9–1.2 mm, glabrous, occasionally waxy; phyllichnia flat to slightly rounded. Teeth on new shoots long- recurved, 12–20, erect, 0.6–0.9 mm long, usually marcescent. Male spikes with 1.2–3 cm in lenghth, 7–10 whorls per cm; anther 0.8 mm long. Cones ovoid, white-pubescent, becoming glabrous; peduncle 3–12 mm long; cone body 9–18 x 7–9 mm; bracteoles broadly acute, with dorsal keel. Samara with 3.5–5.0 mm in length. Seed 0.8-1 mm long, pale brown, glabrous; wing 3-5 mm long, glabrous, emarginated, entire. Timber brown, close-grained, and very hard (Pl. 6). Global distribution: Indigenous to E. Australia (POWO, 2025). Herbarium specimensexamined: English Co. Ezba S of Giza Pyramids, 1. i.1927, G. Täckholm s. n. (CAI); Aga, 16.vi.1928, E. Greiss s. n. (CAI); Northern Beni Suef, 25.ix.1952, L. Boulos s. n. (CAI); Basatin, 6. vii.1952, M. Drar 017500 (CAIM); Faculty of Agriculture, Giza, x.1952, N. El Hadidi s. n. (CAI); Faculty of Agriculture, Giza, viii.1953, N. El Hadidi s. n. (CAI); Faculty of Agriculture, Giza, ix.1953, N. El Hadidi s. n. (CAI); Ras El Hekma, 3.iii.1956, M. Imam s. n. (CAI); Giza, 1.iv.1956, S. El Sisi s. n. (CAI); Basatin, Cairo, 30.vii.1959, M. Drar s. n. (CAI); Cairo-Alexandria desert road near Mena House, 7.ix.1959, V. Täckholm s. n. (CAI); Kirdasa, 7.ix.1959, V. Täckholm s. n. (CAI); Kom Aushim, Faiyum, 21.ix.1959, V. Täckholm s. n. (CAI); Helwan near the cement factory, 23.x.1959, V. Täckholm s. n. (CAI); Barrage medicinal garden, 8.i.1961, V. Tãckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s. n. (CAI); Alfred Birchers garden, El Saff, 23.vi.1961, V. Täckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s. n. (CAI); Horticulture Dept., Giza, 5.ix.1961, V. Täckholm s. n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin, 25.ix.1961, M. Drar s.n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin, 25.ix.1961, V. Täckholm and M. Drar s.n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin, 19/12/1961, V. Täckholm s. n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin (Horticultural Department), 9. iii.1966, M. El Mahdi s. n. (CAI); Wadi El Natroun, 6.iii.1968, N. El Hadidi s. n. (CAI); Garawla between El Alamein and Mersa Matruh, 22. iii.1974, V. Täckholm, N. El Hadidi, Ayyad and Mahdi s. n. (CAI); Cairo-Alexandria road 90 Km, 7. iii.1978, M. Muller et al. s. n. (CAI); Cairo, Aquarium garden, 6. ix.2023, F. Sami 712 (CAIM); Giza, El-Saff, 13. xi.2023, F. Sami 722 (CAIM); Wadi El Natroun, 3. iii.2024, R. Hamdy s.n. (CAI); Damietta, 28.ix.2024, R. Hamdy s. n. (CAI); El Maadi, 4.xii.2024, R. Hamdy s.n. (CAI). Notes: It was introduced in 1922 by the Ministry of Agriculture's Horticultural Department, Egypt, from the Botanic Gardens in Sydney, Australia. It is one of the species that has fared the best among all casuarinas. It grows incredibly well (Täckholm and Drar, 1969). Its cultivation is expanding quickly and is currently found throughout the country. 597 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Plate (6): Field photographs of Casuarina glauca; (A) Trunk, (B) Sheet, (C) Branchlet showing erect, large light grey teeth without a transverse band at the base, (D) Male inflorescence, (E) Female inflorescence (cone), (F) Samara. 598 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Casuarina cristataMiq., Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Kon. Ned. Inst. Wetensch. Amsterdam, ser. 2, 13: 70 (1848). ‘Belah’. Synonyms: ≡ Casuarina quadrivalvis var. cristata (Miq.) Miq. in Flora 48: 18 (1865) = Casuarina lepidophloia F.Muell. in Fragm. 10: 115 (1877) = Casuarina cambagei R. T. Baker in Proc. Linn. Soc. New South Wales 24: 605 (1900) Description: Tree up to 10–15 m high, producing suckers. Bark is scaly, grey-brown, and thick. Branchlets are ascending, fairly ribbed, spreading to 25 cm long. Articles are usually slightly wrinkled, 8–17 x 0.6–0.9 mm, somewhat waxy; phyllichnia flat or with slight median groove, often masked by wax; teeth 8–12, erect, 0.5–0.7 mm long, marcescent. Male spikes with 2–5 cm in length, 6–10 whorls per cm; anther 0.8–1.1 mm long. Cones pubescent when young, nearly glabrous at maturity; peduncle 1–4 mm long; cone body 13–18 x 10–16 mm; bracteoles acute. Samara with 4-6 mm in length. Seed 1- 2 mm in length, pale brown, smooth; wing length 3-4 mm, glabrous, acute, entire, 0.8-1 mm long. Timber brown, straight, and tough (Pl. 7). Global distribution: Indigenous to E. Australia (POWO, 2025). Herbarium specimens examined: Abu Rawash, 19. i.1956, N. El Hadidi s.n. (CAI); Orman Garden, Giza, 22.vii.1959, M. Drar s.n. (CAI); Barrage, 7.ix.1959, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Kirdasa, 7.ix.1959, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Kom Aushim, Faiyum, 21.ix.1959, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Alfred Birchers garden, El Saff, 23.vi.1961, V. Täckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s.n. (CAI); Orman Garden, Giza, vii.1961, V. Täckholm s.n. (CAI); Birket Dahshour, 19.ix.1961, V. Täckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s.n. (CAI); Giza, Basatin, 25.ix.1961, V. Täckholm and M. Drar s.n. (CAI); El Saff, Alfred Bircher’s garden, Western Garden, 4.i.1962, V. Täckholm and Ibrahim El Sayed s.n. (CAI); El Maadi Club, 4.xii. 2024, R. Hamdy s.n. (CAI). Notes: In 1929, the Department of Agriculture and Stock in Brisbane, New South Wales, Australia, transferred it to the Department of Horticulture under the Ministry of Agriculture. Only one specimen was observed in 1961, flourishing in the Orman Garden in Giza (Täckholm and Drar, 1969). At present, we have recorded it once in Cairo. 599 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Plate (7): Field photographs of Casuarina cristata; (A) Trunk, (B) Sheet, (C) Branchlet showing erect, large light grey teeth without a transverse band at the base, (D) Male inflorescence, (E) Female inflorescence (cone), (F) Samara. 600 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Statistical analysis Statistical analysis is significant for documenting and discovering new morphological characters and character states. Many studies have been conducted to understand taxonomic relationships in different groups of plants (Soladoye et al., 2010; Rahman and Rahman, 2012). In the present study, two genera and seven species were evaluated using a data matrix generated from 43 characters through numerical analysis. The complete data matrix for the studied taxa, including the characters and character states and their values for each taxon, is listed in Table (2). The Proximity matrix shows the similarity values among the studied species of Casuarina and Allocasuarina, as shown in Table (3). The numerical taxonomy of the studied taxa was determined based on the phenogram resulting from the UPGMA clustering. Table (2): Summary table and data coding of macro-morphological characters of the studied taxa. No. Characters A .f ra se ri an a (M iq .) L. A .S . Jo hn so n, 19 82 A .l ito ra lis (S al is b. )L .A .S . Jo hn so n, 19 82 A .t or ul os a (S al is b. )L .A .S . Jo hn so n, 19 82 C .c ri sta ta M iq ., 18 48 C .c un ni ng ha m ia na M iq ., 18 48 C .e qu is et ifo lia L. ,1 75 9 C .g la uc a Si eb er .e x Sp re ng ., 18 26 1 Type: dioecious [1]/ monoecious [2] 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 Habit: shrub [1]/ tree [2] 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 Height: tall (< 30 m) [1]/ short (> 30 m) [2] 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 4 Root suckers: present [1]/ absent [2] 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 5 Bark thickness: thick [1]/ thin [2] 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 6 Bark shape: scaly [1]/ fissured [2] 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 7 Bark color: reddish-brown [1]/ greyish or brown [2] 1 2 1 2 2 2 2 8 Branchlets length: short (up to 20 cm) [1]/ long (< 20 cm) [2] 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 9 Branchlets colour: dark green [1]/ green [2]/ glaucous [3] 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 10 Branchlets direction: ascending [1]/ drooping [2]/ erect [3] 1 1 2 1 1 2 3 11 Branchlets thickness: slender [1]/ thick [2] 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 12 Branchlets shape: stripped [1]/ not so [2] 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 13 Branchlets texture: glabrous [1]/ pubescent [2] 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 14 Teeth shape: marcescent [1]/ not marcescent [2] 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 15 Teeth No.: up to 8 [1]/ 8-12 [2]/ 12- 20 [3] 1 1 1 2 2 1 3 16 Teeth length: short (up to 0.5 mm) 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 601 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. [1]/ long (0.5-0.9 mm) [2] 17 17- Teeth direction: erect [1]/ recurved [2] 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 18 Article length: very short (up to 9 mm) [1], short (9-13 mm) [2], long (13-20 mm) [3] 3 2 1 3 1 2 3 19 Article diameter: thin (up to 0.7 mm) [1], thick (0.7-1.2 mm) [2] 2 2 1 2 1 2 2 20 Article texture: glabrous [1], pubescent [2], waxy [3]/ wrinkled [4]. 3 1 1 4 2 2 1 21 Phyllichnia shape: rounded [1], angular [2], flat [3] 1 2 1 3 3 3 3 22 Phyllichnia texture: glabrous [1], pubescent [2], waxy [3] 1 1 1 3 1 2 1 23 Male spike length: very short (up to 3 cm) [1], short (3-5 cm) [2], long (< 5cm) [3] 3 2 1 2 2 2 1 24 Male spike (No. of whorls/cm): 5-6 [1], 6-13 [2] 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 25 Anther length: short (up to 0.8 mm) [1], long (< 8 mm) [2] 2 1 1 2 1 1 2 26 Cone shape: cylindrical [1], ovoid [2] 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 27 Cone texture: glabrous [1], pubescent [2] 2 2 2 1 2 2 1 28 Peduncle length: very short (up to 4 mm) [1], short (4-13 mm) [2], long (< 13 mm) [3] 1 3 3 1 2 2 2 29 Cone length: short (up to 20 mm) [1], long (< 20 mm) [2] 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 30 Cone diameter: thin (up to 16 mm) [1], thick (< 16 mm) [2] 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 31 Bracteole apex: acute [1], obtuse [2] 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 32 Samara length: short (up to 5 mm) [1], long (< 5 mm) [2] 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 33 Samara color: dark brown [1], light brown [2] 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 34 Seed color: brown [1], pale brown [2] 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 35 Seed texture: glabrous [1], warty [2]/ pubescent [3] 2 1 1 1 3 1 1 36 Seed length: short (up to 2 mm) [1], long (< 2 mm) [2] 1 1 1 2 1 1 1 37 Wing colour: whitish [1], pale brown [2], brown [3] 1 2 2 1 3 3 1 38 Wing texture: glabrous [1]/ warty [2]. 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 39 Wing apex: acute [1], obtuse [2], emarginate [3] 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 40 Wing length: short (up to 3.5 mm) [1], long (< 3.5 mm) [2] 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 42 Timber texture: strong [1], tough and rigid [2]. 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 43 Timber grain: coarse-grain [1], oak- grain [2], close-grain [3] 2 1 3 2 2 2 3 602 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae Table (3): The proximity matrix shows the degrees of similarity among the studied species of Casuarinaceae in Egypt. This is an absolute similarity matrix. C. cunninghamiana C. equisetifolia A. litoralis A. torulosa A. fraseriana C. cristata C. glauca Diagram (1): Dendrogram shows the degree of similarity among the studied species of the family Casuarinaceae in Egypt. Species Absolute correlation between vectors of values A. fraseriana A. Litoralis A. torulosa C. cristata C. cunning. C. equisetifolia C. glauca A. fraseri-ana 1.000 0.422 0.262 0.015 0.073 0.025 0.181 A. litoralis 0.422 1.000 0.466 0.109 0.029 0.123 0.072 A. torulosa 0.262 0.466 1.000 0.264 0.073 0.101 0.022 C. cristata 0.015 0.109 0.264 1.000 0.031 0.147 0.239 C. cunning. 0.073 0.029 0.073 0.031 1.000 0.777 0.018 C. equise-tifolia 0.025 0.123 0.101 0.147 0.777 1.000 0.046 C. glauca 0.181 0.072 0.022 0.239 0.018 0.046 1.000 603 BULLETIN OF THE IRAQ NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM Mohamed et al. Numerical analysis The dendrogram resulting from the examination of the morphological traits of the Casuarinaceae species under investigation (Tab. 3, Fig. 1) showed that the studied species were divided into two groups. Group one was further divided into two subgroups. The first subgroup included C. cunninghamiana Miq. subsp. cunninghamiana and C. equisetifolia L. subsp. incana, while the second subgroup included A. fraseriana, A. litoralis, and A. torulosa. The second group included C. cristata and C. glauca. C. cunninghamiana Miq. subsp. cunninghamiana and C. equisetifolia L. subsp. incana exhibited the highest similarity value (77.7 %), followed by 46.6 % between A. litoralis and A. torulosa and 42.2% between A. litoralis and A. fraseriana. The lowest similarity value was 15 % between C. cristata and A. fraseriana and 18 % between C. cunninghamianaMiq. subsp. Cunninghamiana and C. glauca. The numerical analysis supported the simultaneous separation of Allocasuarina and Casuarina, while indicating a significant similarity between them. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the importance of morphological traits in the taxonomic evaluation among the studied species of Casuarinaceae in Egypt. Qualitative and quantitative traits provided considerable information to distinguish among the species of Casuarinaceae. The present study, based on the morphological characters, revealed some similarities among the studied species and confirmed the placement of species in each group. The numerical analysis results supported the separation of Casuarina into two genera: Allocasuarina and Casuarina. Fifteen species were introduced into Egypt in the 19th century, but this number was reduced to eight (Tãckholm and Drar, 1969). In 2025, only four taxa have been recorded. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST STATEMENT There is no conflict of interest for the researchers. LITERATURE CITED Ascherson, P. and Schweinfurth, G. 1887. Illustration de la flore d’égypte. Mémoire institut d’Égypte, 2: 23-260. Badran, O. A., EI-Lakany, M. H., EI-Osta, M. L. and Abu-Gazia, H. A. 1976. Breeding and improving of Casuarina trees. I. Taxonomy and morphological characteristics of Casuarina grown in Egypt. Alexandria Agricultural Research, 24: 683-694. Barbey-Boissier, C. and Barbey, W. 1882. Herborisations au Levant: Égypte, Syrie et Méditerranée. Georges Bridel Editeur, Lausanne, 81 pp. [CrossRef] Beadle, N. C. W. 1981. The vegetation of Australia. 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Br., الكازورينية1814 للفصيلة تصنيفية مراجعة مصر في Fagales البلوطيات القادر*** عبد مصطفي عصام و حمدي** ريم ، * محمد سامي فاطمة الزراعية، البحوث مركز البساتين، بحوث معهد تصنيفالنباتات، و الفلورة بحوث قسم * مصر. الجيزة، مصر. الجيزة، القاهرة، جامعة العلوم، كلية اليكروبيولوجي، و النبات قسم ** الجيزة، الزراعية، البحوث مركز البساتين، بحوث معهد الخشبية، الشجار بحوث قسم *** مصر. 2025/6/20 النشر: ،2025/4/13 القبول: ،2025/4/11 2025/1/20،الراجعة: استالم: الالصة نواع ل اا عدد لتسجيل الكازورينية الفصيلة على التصنيفية الراجعة هذه جريت ل ا الصفات على التقييم هذا استند لها، التصنيفي الوضع ودراسة مصر في حاليا الوجودة نثة، الول السنبلة الذكرة، السنبلة السلمية، الورقة، النبات،مثل جزاء ل ا لجميع الظهرية من الكازورينا. لجنس ينتموا وكلهم فقط نوع ل ا ربع ل ا وجود تسجيل تم حيث البذرة و الثمرة الفلورة بحوث قسم معشبة من بكل الحفوظة العشبية العينات وضحت ل ا خرى ا ا ناحية عن القاهرة -جامعة العلوم كلية ومعشبة الزراعية البحوث بمركز النباتات وتصنيف منها ي ل ا العثورعلى يتم لم ذلك ومع كازوارينا. لو ل اا لجنس تنتمي نواع ل ا لثلث سابق وجود تم حيث نواع، ل ا السبعة من لـــكل تصنيفية مراجعة الدراسة هذه شملت مزروعا. ازال الصفات وتحديد بينهم والتشابه ااختلف وجه ل ا لتحديد بينها التصنيفية العلقات دراسة Casuarina و Casuararina cunninghamiana نوعي تمثيل تم نوع. لكل الميزة التوالي. على cunninghamiana , incana بتحتنوع equisetifolia فوتوغرافية صور ضافة اا مع نواع ل اا و جناس ل اا و للفصيلة تفصيلي وصف عمل تم نواع ل ا مصمم تعريفي مفتاح تضمين تم ذلك، على علوة نوع. لكــــــــــل الرادفات وكتابة 610 Bull. Iraq nat. Hist. Mus. 18 (3): 577-610. Taxonomic revision of the family Casuarinaceae حسب الااضي في وجودها السجل نواع ل اا و بمصر حاليا التواجدة الكازورينية العائلة بمصر. ا حاليا وجودها يسجل لم والتي الحفوظة العشبية العينات نواع ل اا بين التصنيفي للتقييم الظهرية الصفات همية ل ا الدراسة هذه نتائج ظهرت ل ا جنسين إلى الكازوارينا جنس تقسيم الظهرية للصفات العددي التحليل يد ل ا وقد الدروسة. الكازوارينا. و كازوارينا لو ل اا I. Allocasuarina L.A.S. Johnson, J. Adelaide Bot. Ga Casuarina equisetifolia L. subsp. incana (Benth.) = Casuarina incana A.Cunn. ex B Synonym: = Casuarina equisetifolia var. microcarpa Synonyms: = Casuarina obtusa Miq. in A.P.de Candol = Casuarina torulosa Miq., Nieuwe Verh. Eerste Kl. Synonyms: ≡ Casuarina quadrivalvis var. cristata ( = Casuarina lepidophloia F.Muell. in Fragm. 10: 11 = Casuarina cambagei R. T. Baker in Proc. Linn. S Figari, A. 1865. Studii Scientifici sull' Egitto e