Acacia fauntleroyi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia fauntleroyi |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
fauntleroyi
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia fauntleroyi is a type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to a large group of plants called Acacias, which are also known as wattles. This particular acacia grows only in a specific part of southwestern Australia. When a plant or animal lives only in one area, it is called endemic.
What It Looks Like
This shrub or small tree usually grows to be about 1.8 to 7 meters (6 to 23 feet) tall. It has special bark called minni-ritchi bark. This bark peels off in small, curly flakes, making the trunk look reddish-brown and striped. The plant has bright yellow flowers.
Its branches are a silvery color and have tiny, soft hairs. Instead of true leaves, this acacia has what are called phyllodes. Phyllodes are flattened leaf stalks that look and act like leaves. These phyllodes are silvery to grey-green and are long and narrow, sometimes slightly curved. Each phyllode is about 8 to 20 centimeters (3 to 8 inches) long and 1.5 to 4 millimeters (0.06 to 0.16 inches) wide. They are also covered with silky hairs and have seven to nine raised lines, or nerves, on each side.
The flowers grow in simple groups, either alone or in pairs, in the axils. An axil is the angle between a leaf or branch and the stem. The flower-heads are shaped like an oval or a cylinder and contain 43 to 49 golden-colored flowers. These flower-heads are about 7 to 15 millimeters (0.28 to 0.59 inches) long and 5.5 to 7 millimeters (0.22 to 0.28 inches) across.
After the flowers bloom, long, flat, brown seed pods form. These pods are slightly raised over each seed inside. The pods are straight or a little curved, growing up to 10 centimeters (4 inches) long and 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) wide. The seeds inside are light to dark brown and slightly shiny. They are broadly oval or oblong in shape and about 3.5 to 4 millimeters (0.14 to 0.16 inches) long.
Where It Grows
Acacia fauntleroyi is found naturally in a region of Western Australia called the Wheatbelt. It likes to grow near granite rocks and large boulders. You can find it in small areas of sandy, loamy soils around these rocks.
It grows from places like Wongan Hills in the northwest down to Hyden in the southeast. It is a part of the scrubland communities in these areas. Scrubland is a type of habitat with many shrubs and small trees.
