Acacia errabunda facts for kids
Acacia errabunda is a type of shrub. It belongs to a large group of plants called Acacia, also known as wattles. This plant is found only in Western Australia.
Quick facts for kids Acacia errabunda |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
errabunda
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
What does Acacia errabunda look like?
This shrub is usually dense and bushy. It typically grows to be about 1 to 2.5 meters (3 to 8 feet) tall. When it flowers, it produces bright yellow flowers.
Its leaves are not typical leaves. They are actually flattened leaf stems called phyllodes. These phyllodes are thin and green. They are shaped like a spearhead, wider at the tip and narrower at the base. Each phyllode is about 2 to 5 centimeters long and 3 to 8 millimeters wide.
The flowers grow in small, round clusters. Each cluster has about 17 to 22 light golden flowers. After the flowers bloom, long, thin seed pods form. These pods are about 9 centimeters long and 3.5 millimeters wide. Inside the pods are dark brown seeds, each about 4 millimeters long.
How was Acacia errabunda named?
A botanist named Bruce Maslin first officially described this plant in 1999. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. He wrote about it in a scientific paper.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley gave it a different scientific name, Racosperma errabundum. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group. The plant that is most similar to Acacia errabunda is called Acacia stricta.
Where does Acacia errabunda grow?
Acacia errabunda is an endemic plant. This means it grows naturally only in a specific area. For this plant, that area is in Western Australia. It is found in the Goldfields-Esperance, Wheatbelt, and Great Southern regions.
You can find it growing on gently rolling plains and in areas with clay soil that can sometimes hold water, called clay pans. It prefers soils that are a mix of gravel, clay, loam, and sand.
The plant is spread out in different spots. It grows between Broomehill in the west, Albany in the south, and Ravensthorpe in the east. It often grows in woodlands, especially those with mallee trees and other Acacia shrubs.
