Carol's wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carol's wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
caroleae
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia caroleae, also known as Carol's wattle or narrow leaf currawong, is a type of shrub. It belongs to the Acacia family, which is a large group of plants. This plant grows naturally in northeastern Australia.
What Carol's Wattle Looks Like
This shrub or small tree can grow up to 7 m (23 ft) (about 23 feet) tall. It has many branches that grow mostly straight up, close to the main stem. Its bark is dark grey and has a rough, ridged texture.
The smaller branches are smooth and can be pink, dull purple, or red. They might also feel a bit sticky or grainy.
Like many Acacia plants, Carol's wattle has special leaf-like parts called phyllodes instead of true leaves. These phyllodes are always green and feel tough. They are flat and shaped like a narrow line, usually straight. They are blue-grey-green and can be 5 to 21 cm (2.0 to 8.3 in) long and 1.5 to 6.5 mm (0.059 to 0.256 in) wide. Each phyllode has a faint line running down the middle.
Carol's wattle blooms in August, showing off bright golden flowers. These flowers grow in spikes that are about 1.2 to 2.8 cm (0.47 to 1.10 in) long. After the flowers, wrinkled, smooth seed pods appear. These pods are long, about 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3.1 in), and have bumps where the seeds are. Inside, the seeds are dark brown to black and shaped like a stretched oval, about 4 to 4.5 mm (0.16 to 0.18 in) long.
How It Was Named
The plant was first officially described by a botanist named Leslie Pedley in 1978. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Austrobaileya.
For a short time in 1987, it was placed in a different group called Racosperma. But in 2001, it was moved back to the Acacia group. Carol's wattle is closely related to Acacia doratoxylon, and also to Acacia granitica and Acacia burrowii.
Where It Grows
Carol's wattle is found only in certain parts of Australia. It grows in the inland areas of southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. You can find it from Moura in the north down to Gilgandra in the south.
It likes to grow on hills and flat areas, often in sandy or river-deposited soils. This plant is often seen in places where the land has been disturbed. It also grows in open forests or woodlands, usually with Eucalyptus trees or Callitris (cypress pine) trees.
Growing Carol's Wattle
You can buy seeds of Carol's wattle to grow it yourself. To help the seeds sprout, people sometimes treat them with smoke. This plant is known to be tough and can handle cold weather and dry conditions very well.
