Acacia concolorans facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia concolorans |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
concolorans
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Acacia concolorans is a type of shrub found only in Western Australia. It belongs to the large group of plants known as Acacia, which are often called wattles.
About This Shrub
This interesting shrub usually grows to be quite small, from about 0.1 to 0.5 meters (which is about 4 inches to 1.5 feet) tall. It has green branches that feel a bit rough and have yellow stripes. Small, straight leaf-like parts called stipules grow near the base of its leaves.
The leaves themselves are not typical flat leaves. Instead, they are flattened leaf stalks called phyllodes. These phyllodes are green, thick, and have a strong smell. They are shaped like a narrow oval, usually 4 to 10 millimeters long and 1.5 to 2 millimeters wide.
This plant blooms from July to August, showing off bright yellow flowers. Its flowers grow in small, round clusters, with each cluster having about seven or eight golden flowers. After the flowers, long, curved seed pods appear. These pods are about 5 centimeters (2 inches) long and 4 to 5 millimeters wide. Inside, they hold shiny, dark brown seeds that are shaped a bit like an egg.
How It Was Named
A botanist, who is a scientist who studies plants, named Bruce Maslin first officially described this plant in 1999. He wrote about it in a scientific paper. Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley gave it a different name, Racosperma concolorans. However, in 2006, it was moved back to its original name, Acacia concolorans. This plant is quite similar to another wattle called Acacia inamabilis, but Acacia inamabilis has bigger phyllodes and larger flower clusters.
Where It Grows
Acacia concolorans is only found in certain parts of Western Australia. It grows in the Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance areas, specifically between the towns of Kondinin and Yilgarn. You can find it on flat areas and hills where the soil is made of red or brown clay. It often grows as part of open woodlands with Eucalyptus trees or in areas with many small, dense shrubs called mallee shrubland.
