Acacia carens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia carens |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
carens
|
Acacia carens is a type of small shrub. It belongs to the large group of plants called Acacias, which are often known as wattles. This shrub grows in a small area of Western Australia, near the coast where the Mid West and Wheatbelt regions meet.
Description
This shrub usually grows to be about 0.35 to 1 meter (1 to 3 feet) tall. It has an open, broom-like shape. Its branches are smooth and green with clear yellow stripes. They are also round, like a pencil. Small, narrow, triangular parts called stipules grow on the branches. These are about 1.5 to 3 millimeters long.
Like most Acacia species, this plant has special leaf-like structures called phyllodes instead of true leaves. The few green phyllodes on Acacia carens are far apart and connect directly to the branches. They are very tiny, only about 0.5 to 1 millimeter long. This shrub blooms between April and June, producing pretty yellow flowers.
How It Was Named
The plant was first officially described by a botanist named Bruce Maslin in 1995. This description was part of a scientific paper published in a journal called Nuytsia.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified the species. He moved it to a different group called Racosperma carens. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group. So, its official name is once again Acacia carens.
Where It Grows
Acacia carens is found in a small area of Western Australia. This area is located between the towns of Coorow and Dandaragan. It prefers to grow in sandy, gravelly soils on top of lateritic hills. These are hills with soil rich in iron and aluminum. You can find it growing as part of heathland communities, which are areas with low-growing shrubs and plants.
