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Acacia floydii facts for kids

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Acacia floydii
Scientific classification
Genus:
Acacia
Species:
floydii
Acacia floydiiDistMap367.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Acacia floydii is a type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to a large group of plants called Acacia, which are often known as wattles in Australia. This plant is native to parts of eastern Australia.

What Does Acacia floydii Look Like?

This plant can be a shrub or a small tree. It usually grows to be about 1.5 to 4.5 m (4 ft 11 in to 14 ft 9 in) (about 5 to 15 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can even reach up to 10 m (33 ft) (about 33 feet) high. It grows straight up or spreads out.

Branches and Leaves

The branches are smooth and have sharp angles. They become flatter at their ends. Young plants have special leaves called bipinnate leaves, which look like feathers with many small leaflets. Sometimes, older plants still have these feathery leaves.

Most of the time, the mature plants have phyllodes. Phyllodes are like flattened leaf stems that act as leaves. They are always green and smooth. These phyllodes are usually straight and thin, shaped like a line. They are about 6 to 13 cm (2.4 to 5.1 in) (2.4 to 5.1 inches) long and 1 to 3 mm (0.039 to 0.118 in) (0.04 to 0.12 inches) wide. Each phyllode has a main vein that stands out a little, and other smaller veins that are harder to see.

Flowers and Seed Pods

Acacia floydii blooms between January and May. Its flowers grow in groups called inflorescences. These groups have 5 to 16 small, round flower-heads. Each flower-head is about 4 to 6 mm (0.16 to 0.24 in) (0.16 to 0.24 inches) across. They contain 8 to 11 flowers that are pale yellow or almost white.

After the flowers bloom, smooth, leathery, brown seed pods form. These pods are straight and flat. They are about 6 to 12 cm (2.4 to 4.7 in) (2.4 to 4.7 inches) long and 6 to 9 mm (0.24 to 0.35 in) (0.24 to 0.35 inches) wide. Inside the pods, the seeds are lined up lengthwise.

How Was Acacia floydii Named?

The second part of the plant's scientific name, floydii, is a special honour. It was named after Alexander 'Alex' Geoffrey Floyd. He used to work for the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Where Does Acacia floydii Grow?

This plant is found along the east coast of Australia. You can see it in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. It often grows on the edge of mountain ranges, east and north of a town called Tenterfield.

It likes to grow on rocky areas made of granite or near creeks. You can find it in wet sclerophyll forests, which are forests with tough, hard leaves. It also grows along the edges of rainforest communities.

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