Acacia arbiana facts for kids

Acacia arbiana is a special type of wattle plant. It is found only in Queensland, Australia. This means it is "endemic" to that area. It's a beautiful shrub that grows in rocky places.

What Does It Look Like?

This wattle plant grows as a spreading shrub. It usually reaches about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall. Its branches have ribs, which are like small ridges.

The leaves of Acacia arbiana are called phyllodes. They are green and shaped like thin lines. They are usually 8 to 16 millimeters long. That's less than an inch! They are also very narrow, about 0.6 to 0.8 millimeters wide. These leaves have a long, curved tip called a mucro. They might have a few hairs but no clear veins.

The plant flowers between July and August. Its flowers grow in round, golden-yellow balls. Each ball has about 24 to 30 tiny flowers. After flowering, the plant grows seed pods. These pods can be up to 4.5 centimeters long. They are also quite wide, about 10 to 14 millimeters across.

Who Discovered This Plant?

A botanist named Leslie Pedley first officially described this plant in 1999. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Austrobaileya.

For a short time, the plant was given a different scientific name, Racosperma arbianum. But in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.

Where Does It Grow?

Acacia arbiana is found in only a very small part of eastern central Queensland. You can find it east of a town called Clermont. It grows specifically in the Peak Range area. Look for it around the tops of Ropers and Scotts Peak.

This wattle grows in areas with heath-like plants. These are often small, tough shrubs. It prefers to grow in rocky soils.