Acacia inops facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia inops |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
inops
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Acacia inops is a type of shrub, a small bush, that belongs to the Acacia family. It's a special plant because it grows naturally only in the southwestern part of Australia. This means it's endemic to that area.
Contents
What Acacia inops Looks Like
This shrub is a bit weak and can scramble, meaning it grows in a sprawling way. It also has a strong smell. It usually grows to be about 0.4 to 1.1 meters (1.3 to 3.6 feet) tall.
Branches and Leaves
The branches are very thin, like threads. The smaller, green branches are smooth, meaning they have no hairs. They also have tiny leaf-like parts called stipules, which are only 1 to 2 millimeters long.
The leaves of this plant are quite unique. They are called phyllodes and are shaped like a narrow triangle. They are about 5 to 7 millimeters long and 0.5 to 1 millimeter wide. These phyllodes are also sessile, which means they attach directly to the stem without a stalk. They have a strong smell and a clear central vein.
Flowers
Acacia inops produces beautiful white to cream-colored flowers. You can usually see these flowers from September to November. The flowers grow in simple groups called inflorescences. These groups appear one by one where the leaves meet the stem, which is called the axil. Each flower-head is round and holds about five to nine small flowers that are cream to white in color.
How Acacia inops Got Its Name
Early Discovery
The first time this plant was officially described was in 1928. Two botanists, Joseph Maiden and William Blakely, did this work. They wrote about it in a paper called Descriptions of fifty new species and six varieties of western and northern Australian Acacias, and notes on four other species. This paper was published in a scientific journal.
Changing Names
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified this plant. He moved it to a different group, calling it Racosperma inops. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia family, which is where it is known today.
Acacia inops is part of a group of plants that includes Acacia horridula and Acacia hastulata. It also looks quite similar to another plant called Acacia uliginosa.
Where Acacia inops Grows
This plant is native to the southwestern part of Western Australia. You can find it in an area stretching from around Busselton in the north down to Augusta in the south.
It likes to grow in wet places, such as around swamps and along creek-lines. The soil it prefers is black, sandy, and rich in peat, which is a type of decayed plant material. Most of these plants are found around the Margaret River area.
