Casuarina pauper is also known as Black Oak, Scrub Sheoak, Bulloak, Belah, and Alku. Casuarinas belong to an ancient family of plants with foliage consisting of segmented waxy photosynthetic branchlets commonly referred to as needles. Tiny leaves form a crown, or teeth-like ring, at the branchlet joints. New growth was observed in mid-summer at Ikara-Wilpena Pound.

