casuarina

2 definitions found

casuarina - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Casuarina \Cas`u*a*ri"na\, n. [NL., supposed to be named from
     the resemblance of the twigs to the feathers of the
     cassowary, of the genus Casuarius.] (Bot.)
     A genus of leafless trees or shrubs, with drooping branchlets
     of a rushlike appearance, mostly natives of Australia. Some
     of them are large, producing hard and heavy timber of
     excellent quality, called beefwood from its color.
     [1913 Webster]

casuarina - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  casuarina
      n 1: any of various trees and shrubs of the genus Casuarina
           having jointed stems and whorls of scalelike leaves; some
           yield heavy hardwood