Acacia fragilis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia fragilis |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
fragilis
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia fragilis is a type of shrub. It belongs to a large group of plants called Acacia, also known as wattles. This special wattle only grows in the southwestern part of Australia. It's a plant that is unique to that area.
What it Looks Like
This Acacia is a thick, rounded shrub. It usually grows between 0.5 and 3 meters (about 1.5 to 10 feet) tall. Its small branches are smooth and round. New shoots often have a bright golden color.
Like most Acacia plants, it doesn't have true leaves. Instead, it has phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stalks that look and act like leaves. The phyllodes are always green. They can be straight or slightly curved. They are about 3.5 to 8 centimeters (1.4 to 3.1 inches) long. They are quite thin, about 0.5 to 1.3 millimeters (0.02 to 0.05 inches) wide. Each phyllode has eight raised lines or "nerves."
The plant blooms from July to October. During this time, it produces pretty yellow flowers.
How it Got its Name
The Acacia fragilis was first officially described in 1927. Two botanists, Joseph Maiden and William Blakely, gave it its name. They wrote about it in a scientific paper. The paper was called Descriptions of fifty new species and six varieties of western and northern Australian Acacias. It was published in a journal.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley changed its name. He called it Racosperma fragile. But then, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group. So, its official name is still Acacia fragilis.
Where it Grows
This plant is found in the Wheatbelt and Goldfields areas of Western Australia. It often grows on low hills or sandy plains. You can find it in rocky, sandy, or loamy soils. Sometimes, it grows near areas with laterite, which is a type of reddish soil.
The plant's range stretches quite far. It goes from around Carnamah in the northwest. It reaches to Cunderdin and Merredin in the southeast. It is quite common in these areas.
Other groups of Acacia fragilis are found further east. These include places like Holt Rock, near Boondi, and along Ponton Creek near Zanthus. It usually grows as part of a scrubland. This is a type of bushland with many shrubs. It often grows with mallee Eucalyptus trees and other Acacia species.
