Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
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One of the iconic trees to be seen in and around Uluru (in fact across Central Australia), are the Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana). The desert oak is a slow-growing medium-sized tree found in the arid desert regions of Central Australia, encompassing parts of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia.
Young desert oaks in foreground with Kata Tjuta in background
The Desert Oak is a significant cultural plant, that are part of the dreaming for aboriginal people. Depicted in a number of aboriginal art under titles such as Desert Oak Dreaming and Digging Stick Dreaming, by renowned artists such as Dorothy Napangardi and Judy Napangardi Watson, they are also significant to artists in the creation of artwork such as the series Tjanpi Kampanyi by Trephina Sultan Thanguwa.
Juvenile Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana) 
Juvenile to adult stage of the Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana) 
Adult Desert Oaks (Allocasuarina decaisneana) 
Adult Desert Oak (Allocasuarina decaisneana)
Desert Oak cones and seed pods (Allocasuarina decaisneana) 
Desert Oak cones and seed pods (Allocasuarina decaisneana) 
Fallen Desert Oak cones / seed pods (Allocasuarina decaisneana) 
Modified leaves of Desert Oak 
Trunk and bark of a young adult Desert Oak 
Modified leaves and branchlets of Desert Oak
Check out our Flora Index for more information about the Desert Oak.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes
- Clade: Angiosperms
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Rosids
- Order: Fagales
- Family: Casuarinaceae
- Genus: Allocasuarina
- Species: A. decaisneana
- Binomial name: Allocasuarina decaisneana