Acacia excentrica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia excentrica |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
excentrica
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia excentrica is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. It is found growing naturally in Western Australia. This plant is special because of its unique shape and pretty yellow flowers.
Contents
About the Acacia excentrica Plant
This prickly shrub often grows low to the ground, spreading out or forming a rounded shape. It usually reaches a height of about 0.1 to 0.5 metres (0 to 2 ft), which is like 4 inches to 1.5 feet tall.
Leaves and Stems
The plant has small leaf-like parts called phyllodes. These are green and shaped like narrow ovals, sometimes pointy at the end. Each phyllode is about 1 to 2 cm (0.39 to 0.79 in) long and 2 to 5 mm (0.079 to 0.197 in) wide. They are a bit uneven and have a sharp point. At the base of the phyllodes, there are small, leaf-like structures called stipules, which are about 1 to 2 mm (0.039 to 0.079 in) long.
Flowers and Seed Pods
Acacia excentrica produces bright yellow flowers. You can usually see these flowers from July to October. The flowers grow in small, round clusters called flower heads. Each flower head is about 4 to 4.5 mm (0.16 to 0.18 in) across and contains 20 to 30 golden yellow flowers. These flower heads are found on short stalks, often one or two on each stalk. After the flowers, the plant forms seed pods. These pods are long and thin, and they often curl into one or two spirals.
How the Plant Got Its Name
The Acacia excentrica was first officially described by two botanists, Joseph Maiden and William Blakely, in 1928. They wrote about it in a scientific paper called Descriptions of fifty new species and six varieties of western and northern Australian Acacias, and notes on four other species. This paper was published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. He gave it a new name, Racosperma excentricum. However, in 2006, it was moved back into the Acacia family, so its name became Acacia excentrica again.
Where Acacia excentrica Grows
This plant is found in different parts of Western Australia. It grows in scattered areas, meaning it's not found everywhere but in specific spots. You can find it in the Goldfields-Esperance, Wheatbelt, and Great Southern regions. Its range stretches from Albany in the west to Kondinin in the north, and all the way to Cocklebiddy in the east. It prefers to grow on flat lands in soils that are a mix of loam or sandy clay, usually over limestone rock.
