Acacia attenuata facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia attenuata |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
attenuata
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| Acacia attenuata occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Acacia attenuata is a special type of shrub, often called a Wattle. It belongs to the Acacia family. This plant is found naturally in southeastern Queensland, Australia. It was officially listed as a vulnerable species in 2009. This means it needs protection because its numbers are low. The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 helps protect it.
What Does It Look Like?
This shrub is usually slender and can grow quite tall. It typically reaches a height of 3 to 4 m (9.8 to 13.1 ft) (about 10 to 13 feet). Its branches are smooth, without any hairs. Young plants have special leaves that stay on the plant as it grows. These are called bipinnate leaves.
The main leaves are green and shaped like a long spoon. They are called phyllodes. They can be 10 to 14 cm (3.9 to 5.5 in) (about 4 to 5.5 inches) long. They are also 7 to 16 mm (0.28 to 0.63 in) (about 0.3 to 0.6 inches) wide.
When the plant blooms, it produces round flower-heads. These are simple inflorescences, meaning the flowers grow in a simple cluster. Each flower-head has 20 to 35 small flowers. These flowers are usually cream to pale yellow in color.
After the flowers bloom, seed pods start to form. This usually happens around June or July. The seeds inside the pods become ready in springtime, from October to November. These seed pods are dark brown and flat. They are smooth and get narrower between each seed. The pods are about 8 to 10 cm (3.1 to 3.9 in) (about 3 to 4 inches) long. They are also 1.3 to 1.4 cm (0.51 to 0.55 in) (about 0.5 inches) wide.
Where Does It Live?
Acacia attenuata grows in southeastern Queensland. It prefers areas with a lot of rain. You can usually find it on sandy plains near the coast. These areas are less than 40 km (25 mi) (about 25 miles) from the ocean.
Its natural home stretches for about 400 km (250 mi) (about 250 miles). This range goes from Littabella National Park in the north, near Bundaberg, down to Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast in the south.
The plant is spread out across eight different local government areas. The total area where it could potentially live is about 400 km2 (150 sq mi) (about 154 square miles). However, the plant actually lives in less than 100 km2 (39 sq mi) (about 39 square miles) of this area.
Scientists believe there are only about 1,000 to 2,500 plants left. They live in about 26 separate locations. Sadly, these groups of plants are very spread out and disconnected. This is because their natural homes have been destroyed. Most of this habitat loss is due to new buildings and city growth.
