The genus
Casuarina was first formally described in 1759 by
Carl Linnaeus in
Amoenitates Academicae and the first species he described was
Casuarina equisetifolia. The specific epithet
equisetifolia means 'horsehair-leaved'. and in 1982,
Lawrie Johnson changed the names to subspecies
equisetifolia and
incana respectively, in the
Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens: •
Casuarina equisetifolia L. subsp.
equisetifolia, a tree high, the articles long and wide with 8 to 10 teeth long, the male spikes long, the cones long and wide on a peduncle long. •
Casuarina equisetifolia subsp.
incana (Benth.) L.A.S.Johnson. a tree high, the articles long and wide with 8 to 10 teeth about long, the male spikes long, the cones long, wide and densely covered with white to rust-coloured hairs, on a peduncle long. The epithet
incana means 'white' or 'hoary'. There is some doubt as to whether Linnaeus' publication of
C. equisetifolia is valid, since he based his description solely on
Rumphius's description of
Casuarina litorea in
Herbarium Amboinense and there are no
type specimens. This species is sometimes given the common name "Australian pine" because it has features that seem superficially like those of a
pine, but it is not a
conifer. == Distribution and habitat ==