Acacia filifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia filifolia |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
filifolia
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia filifolia is a type of shrub that belongs to the group of plants called Acacia. It's special because it only grows in western Australia. This means it is endemic to that area.
What Does It Look Like?
The Acacia filifolia shrub is thin and delicate. It usually grows to be about 1.2 to 3 metres (4 to 10 ft) tall. It might have one main stem or a few branches near its base. Its small branches are straight or slightly wavy and have sticky ridges.
The leaves, called phyllodes, are slender and yellowish-green. They curve upwards and have a square-like shape. These phyllodes are about 10 to 25 cm (3.9 to 9.8 in) long and very narrow, only about 0.7 to 1 mm (0.028 to 0.039 in) wide. They are smooth (which means they are glabrous) and have eight wide veins.
This plant blooms from May to September, showing off yellow flowers. The flowers grow in simple clusters, either alone or in pairs, where the leaves meet the stem. These flower-heads are round or oval-shaped, about 6 to 12 mm (0.24 to 0.47 in) long and 5 to 8 mm (0.20 to 0.31 in) across.
After the flowers, long, thin seed pods form. They can grow up to about 12 cm (4.7 in) long and are 2.5 to 3 mm (0.098 to 0.118 in) wide. These pods are a bit hairy and have smooth, yellow edges. Inside, the seeds are shiny and mottled (meaning they have spots or streaks) grey-brown to brown. They are oblong-shaped and about 3 mm (0.12 in) long.
How Was It Named?
The plant was first officially described by a botanist named George Bentham in 1842. This description was part of a larger work by William Jackson Hooker called Notes on Mimoseae, with a synopsis of species. It was published in the London Journal of Botany.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. He moved it to a different genus, calling it Racosperma filifolium. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia genus.
The second part of its scientific name, filifolia, comes from two Latin words. Filum means "thread," and folium means "a leaf." This name probably refers to the plant's very thin, thread-like leaves (phyllodes).
Where Does It Grow?
Acacia filifolia is found in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. It grows from areas around Coorow in the northwest to Southern Cross in the southwest. It is spread out in different places across this region.
You can find it growing on sandy plains. It prefers gravelly or sandy soils, often near a type of rock called laterite. It is usually part of shrubland communities, which are areas covered mostly by shrubs.
