 Botany
Agoho is a large, evergreen tree, tall and straight, up to 20 meters high. Crown is narrowly pyramidal, resembling some of the conifers in appearance. Bark is brown and rough. Branchlets are very slender, about 20 cm long, mostly deciduous, composed of many joints, fullfilling the functions of leaves. Internodes are about 1 cm long, somewhat 6- or 8-angled. Flowers are unisexual. Staminate spikes are slender, 1 to 3 cm long. Cones are usually ellipsoid, 1 to 2 cm long, composed of about 12 rows of achenes enclosed in the hardened bracts.
Distribution
Along sandy seashores, extending inland in open sandy valleys along streams.
Sometimes growing at altitudes as high as 800 meters.
Cultivated in Manila and large towns as an ornamental foliage tree or hedge plant.
Also planted to check erosion.
Pantropic in cultivation.
Constituents
Bark yields 18% tannin.
Coloring matter is casuarin.
Properties
Bark considered astringent, emmenagogue, ecbolic and tonic.
Seeds considered anthelmintic, antispasmodic and antidiabetic.
Parts used
Bark, leaves.
Uses
Folkloric
Infusionn of branches used as diuretic.
Leaves used for colic.
Bark used as astringent and emmenagogue.
Used for stomach aches, diarrhea, dysentery and nervous disorders.
Decoction of bark used for hemoptysis.
In India and Malaya, bark used for diarrhea and dysentery; also used for beriberi.
In Malaya and Sarawak, decoction of twigs used in making a lotion for swellings.
In Malaya, powdered bark used for pimples.
In Madagascar, decoction of bark used for colic.
Infusion of bark used as tonic.
Others
Wood used for fuel; making poles and rafters.
Tannin fromm the bark used for tanning and dyeing.
Studies
• Antibacterial: (1) In a study of seven medicinal plants investigated for antibacterial and toxic activities, C. equisetifolia exhibited strong activity against S aureus, B subtilis and S sonnei. (2) Casuarina equisetifolia was one of 12 medicinal plants studied for antibacterial activity against B subtilis, S epidermis, Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes, P vulgaris and S typhimurium.
• Hepatoprotective: C. equisetifolia was one for four medicinal plants that showed dose-dependent protection against carbon tetrachloride induced hepatocellular injury in rats.
Availability
Wild-crafted.
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