Acacia heterochroa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia heterochroa |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
heterochroa
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia heterochroa is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. This plant is special because it is found only in the southwestern part of Australia. When a plant or animal is found only in one specific area, it's called endemic.
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What Does Acacia heterochroa Look Like?
This spreading shrub usually grows to be between 0.3 and 2.0 meters (about 1 to 6.5 feet) tall. It has smooth, hairless branches, which botanists call glabrous. These branches are round and have ridges, and they often look like they're covered in a white powder.
Leaves and Flowers
When new shoots appear, they are often reddish. The plant has small leaf-like parts called stipules, but these fall off easily. The grey-green "leaves" are actually flattened stems called phyllodes. They can be oval, egg-shaped, or almost round. Each phyllode is about 1 to 3.5 centimeters long and 1 to 2.5 centimeters wide. You can see a clear main vein and other veins along the edges.
This Acacia produces bright lemon-yellow flowers from April to December. These flowers grow in large, round clusters called inflorescences. Each cluster holds 5 to 12 flowers that are not packed too tightly together.
Seed Pods
After the flowers bloom, long, straight, or slightly curved seed pods form. These pods can grow up to 6.5 centimeters (about 2.5 inches) long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. When they are fresh, they are a purplish-red color. They are thick and woody, and they turn black as they dry. Inside the pods, you'll find shiny brown seeds that are oblong (like a stretched circle) and about 3.5 to 4 millimeters long.
How Acacia heterochroa Got Its Name
A botanist named Bruce Maslin first officially described this plant in 1995. Botanists are scientists who study plants. His description was part of a larger study published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
Changes to Its Name
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified the plant. This means he moved it to a different group and called it Racosperma heterochroa. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.
There are also two known types, or subspecies, of Acacia heterochroa:
- Acacia heterochroa subsp. heterochroa
- Acacia heterochroa subsp. robertii
This plant is part of a larger group of Acacia plants known as the Acacia myrtifolia group.
Where Acacia heterochroa Grows
Acacia heterochroa is native to the southern coast of Western Australia. You can find it in the Goldfields-Esperance and Great Southern regions. It prefers to grow on hilltops and ridges.
Its Favorite Soil
This shrub grows well in gravelly soils that are rich in iron, known as lateritic soils. Most of these plants are found between Holt Rock and Ravensthorpe. They grow in open woodlands or in areas with small, dense trees and shrubs called mallee communities.
