Gregory's wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gregory's wattle |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
gregorii
|
 |
|
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia gregorii, often called Gregory's wattle, is a type of shrub that grows in Western Australia. It belongs to the Acacia plant group, which are commonly known as wattles. This plant is special because of its unique look and where it lives.
What Gregory's Wattle Looks Like
This wattle is a low, spreading shrub that usually grows between 0.2 and 0.7 meters (about 8 inches to 2 feet) tall. It can spread out quite wide, from 0.5 to 2.0 meters (about 1.5 to 6.5 feet) across.
Its small branches are a bit hairy. It has tiny, pointed leaf-like parts called stipules, which are about 1.5 to 3.5 millimeters long. The leaves, called phyllodes, are also hairy and stay green all year. They are shaped like an oval or ellipse and are usually 6 to 20 millimeters long and 4 to 11 millimeters wide.
Gregory's wattle blooms from June to August, showing off bright yellow flowers. These flowers grow in round or oval-shaped clusters, about 10 to 12 millimeters wide. Each cluster can have 35 to 60 golden flowers.
After the flowers, the plant forms hairy, oblong seed pods. These pods are 5 to 18 millimeters long and 4 to 6 millimeters wide. Each pod usually holds one or two dark brown, oval-shaped seeds, which are about 3 millimeters long.
How Gregory's Wattle Got Its Name
The first official description of this plant was made by a botanist (a scientist who studies plants) named Ferdinand von Mueller in 1826. He wrote about it in his work called Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.
Gregory's wattle looks a lot like two other wattle species, Acacia crispula and Acacia shuttleworthii, which grow further south. It also has some similarities to Acacia crassistipula.
The plant was named in honor of Francis Thomas Gregory. He was an explorer who traveled across the Pilbara region of Western Australia during his expedition in 1861.
Where Gregory's Wattle Grows
This wattle is found naturally along the west coast of Western Australia. You can find it in regions like the Gascoyne, Pilbara, and Mid West.
It likes to grow in sandy areas, on coastal hills, and among limestone rocks. It often grows in red sandy soils, as part of spinifex grasslands or in heathland communities (areas with low-growing shrubs).
