Isolated and solitary, this tree stands majestically on the rock as if bowing to better follow the landscape that stretches out before it. Its long, thin, and delicate leaves quiver under the assault of the gusts that ceaselessly sweep the northeast coast of Tasmania. Each breath of wind seems to give it life, its graceful dance bringing a touch of lightness to the harshness of the surrounding scenery.
Only a few meters from its granite base, the Tasman Sea roars and rages. Yet this tree has never descended to it. It knows the sea only through the salty spray that sometimes flies up to it, condemned to contemplate this horizon without ever being able to plunge into it.
The Indigenous people called it Worgnal, a name filled with respect, until the late 18th century when the French naturalist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck scientifically described it and named it Casuarina verticillate. However, he could not capture in its Latin rigour all the magic of this tree.
For the bushmen, its acidic foliage, when chewed, helped combat thirst in times of great drought. The children, for their part, found a treat in its young cones, which, in my opinion, adds a touch of kindness to this robust tree. These anecdotes, recounted in the book 'The Useful Native Plants of Australia', published in 1889, testify to the importance and versatility of this tree in daily life.
Contemplating this isolated tree makes me feel a profound connection with the wild nature of Tasmania. Its isolation does not weaken it; on the contrary, it highlights the resilience in the raw beauty of this landscape. It evokes for me the endurance against the tranquil force of the elements, as well as the grace that emanates from solitude.
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Dimitri Vasileiou • Editor