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Acacia aciphylla facts for kids

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Acacia aciphylla
Scientific classification
Genus:
Acacia
Species:
aciphylla
Acacia aciphyllaDistMap8.png
Where Acacia aciphylla grows in Australia

The Acacia aciphylla is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia plant family. It's also known as a wattle. This plant is originally from the Mid West area of Western Australia, which is a state in Australia.

What it Looks Like

This shrub is quite prickly and grows in a thick, bushy shape. It usually reaches a height of about 0.6 to 1.8 meters (2 to 6 feet). Its branches are smooth, and it has special leaf-like parts called phyllodes. These phyllodes are stiff, stand upright, and are straight. They are shaped like a cylinder or have a slightly diamond-like cross-section.

Each phyllode is about 6 to 12 centimeters (2.4 to 4.7 inches) long and about 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inches) thick.

The Acacia aciphylla blooms from July to September. It produces many bright golden-yellow flowers. These flowers grow in simple clusters, with two clusters appearing where a leaf meets the stem. Each flower cluster is shaped like a short oval, about 6 to 9 millimeters (0.24 to 0.35 inches) long and 2 millimeters (0.08 inches) wide.

After the flowers, the plant grows seed pods. These pods are long and straight, with slight bumps where the seeds are inside. The pods are about 9 centimeters (3.5 inches) long and 2.5 millimeters (0.1 inches) wide.

How it's Classified

A scientist named George Bentham, who studied plants (a botanist), first officially described this plant in 1855. He wrote about it in a scientific paper. Sometimes, this plant is also called Racosperma aciphyllum.

There are two main types, or varieties, of Acacia aciphylla:

  • Acacia aciphylla var. aciphylla
  • Acacia aciphylla var. leptostachys

Where it Grows

This plant can grow in different kinds of soil, including sandy, loamy (a mix of sand, silt, and clay), and lateritic soils (which are rich in iron and aluminum). You can also find it growing on granite rocks and rocky hillsides. It usually grows among other shrubs.

The Acacia aciphylla is found in a few separate areas between the towns of Kalbarri, Mullewa, and Morawa in Western Australia.

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