Heath wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heath wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
brownii
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
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The heath wattle (Acacia brownii) is a type of shrub that grows upright or spreads out. It is found only in eastern Australia. This plant is special because it is endemic to this area, meaning it naturally grows nowhere else in the world.
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What the Heath Wattle Looks Like
The heath wattle usually grows to be about 0.3 to 1 meter (about 1 to 3 feet) tall. Its branches are smooth or have only a few hairs. It has small, pointy leaf-like parts called stipules that are about 1 millimeter tall.
Like most Acacia plants, the heath wattle has phyllodes instead of true leaves. Phyllodes are flattened leaf stems that act like leaves. These phyllodes are stiff, round, and look like needles. They are about 0.8 to 2 centimeters long and 1 millimeter wide.
Flowers and Seed Pods
From August to November, the plant produces round, yellow flowerheads. Each flowerhead is about 5 to 10 millimeters wide and has 12 to 30 small flowers. These flowers grow by themselves where the phyllodes meet the stem.
After the flowers bloom, curved, flat seed pods start to form. These pods are about 1.5 to 8 centimeters long and 3 to 5 millimeters wide. They hold the seeds of the plant.
How the Heath Wattle Got Its Name
The heath wattle has had a few different names over time! It was first described in 1813 by a botanist named Robert Brown. He called it Acacia acicularis. However, that name was already being used for a different plant.
Later, in 1817, another botanist named Poiret gave it a new name: Mimosa brownei. Then, in 1821, botanist Ernst Gottlieb von Steudel gave it the name it has today, Acacia brownii.
For a while, in 1987, it was moved to a different group of plants and called Racosperma brownii. But in 2006, scientists decided it belonged back in the Acacia group. The heath wattle looks a lot like another plant called the prickly moses (Acacia ulicifolia). For some time, people even thought they were just different types of the same plant!
Where the Heath Wattle Grows
You can find the heath wattle growing in eastern Australia. It likes sandy or clay soils in dry sclerophyll forests, woodlands, or open heathlands. Sclerophyll forests are types of forests where many plants have hard, tough leaves to help them survive dry conditions.
It grows along the Great Dividing Range, which is a large mountain range. You can find it from the Grampians in Victoria, through New South Wales, and up to places like Burra Burri in Queensland.
