Acacia congesta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia congesta |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
congesta
|
 |
|
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia congesta is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. This plant is special because it grows only in Western Australia. It's a native plant found nowhere else in the world.
What It Looks Like
This spreading shrub usually grows to be about 0.5 to 2.5 metres (2 to 8 ft) tall. It has dark grey bark on its main trunk and bigger branches. The younger branches can be smooth or a bit hairy. They have small, spiny leaf-like parts called stipules. These branches start with a grey or white skin that cracks as they get older.
The leaves of Acacia congesta are actually not true leaves. They are flattened leaf stalks called phyllodes. These phyllodes are dark green and have a sharp point. They can be from 5 to 30 mm (0.20 to 1.18 in) long and 3 to 7 mm (0.12 to 0.28 in) wide. Each phyllode has a clear main vein down the middle, and some smaller veins that are harder to see. This plant blooms from August to September, showing off its pretty yellow flowers.
How It Got Its Name
The first official description of Acacia congesta was made by a botanist named George Bentham in 1842. He wrote about it in a book called Notes on Mimoseae, with a synopsis of species. Later, in 2003, another botanist, Leslie Pedley, changed its name to Racosperma congestum. But then, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia family. Another name for this plant that was used in the past is Acacia collina.
There are three different types, or subspecies, of Acacia congesta:
- Acacia congesta subsp. cliftoniana
- Acacia congesta subsp. congesta
- Acacia congesta subsp. wonganensis
Where It Grows
Acacia congesta is found along the west coast of Western Australia. It grows in the Mid West and Wheatbelt areas. It doesn't grow everywhere in these regions, but in scattered patches. You can find it from the city of Geraldton in the north down to the area around Wongan Hills in the south.
This shrub likes to grow among rocky areas and on hilltops. It prefers stony clay soils that are rich in a type of rock called laterite. It often grows in open woodlands or in low shrubland areas, which are places with many small bushes.
