Acacia clelandii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Umbrella mulga |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
clelandii
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia clelandii, also known as umbrella mulga, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to arid parts of central Australia.
Description
The shrub typically grows to a height of around 5 m (16 ft) and has a spreading habit. It has yellow resinous ribbing on the branchlets that are covered in small white hairs. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The terete to subterete evergreen phyllodes are sometimes flat, straight or slightly curved. The phyllodes have a length of 5 to 15 cm (2.0 to 5.9 in) and a diameter 1 to 1.8 mm (0.039 to 0.071 in) and have thin longitudinal nerves with short soft hairs in between. The simple inflorescences mostly occur singly in the axils as cylindrical flower-spikes with a length of 10 to 25 mm (0.39 to 0.98 in). Following flowering brown and straight seed pods with an oblong shape form. The pods have a length of 25 to 50 mm (0.98 to 1.97 in) and a width of 6 to 10 mm (0.24 to 0.39 in) and are cartilaginous with longitudinal reticulated nerves. The seeds have an oblong shape with a length of 4 to 6 mm (0.16 to 0.24 in) and a width of 3 to 3.5 mm (0.12 to 0.14 in) with a small pale aril.
Distribution
In Western Australia it has a limited and scattered distribution in the Pilbara and eastern Mid West regions where it is usually situated on dunes or rocky hills. It is also found in South Australia especially in the Gawler Range and the far north where the range of the shrub extends into adjoining parts of Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
