Acacia maxwellii facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Acacia maxwellii
Scientific classification
Genus:	Acacia
Species:	maxwellii
Acacia maxwellii occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium

Acacia maxwellii is a special type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family. It is found only in the southwestern part of Australia. This means it is endemic to that area, growing naturally nowhere else in the world!

What Does It Look Like?

This shrub is usually low and rounded, like a small dome. It typically grows to be about 0.1 to 0.4 metres (0.3 to 1.3 ft) tall. Its branches are a bit hairy.

• Instead of regular leaves, Acacia maxwellii has what are called phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stems that look and act like leaves.
• The phyllodes are thick and smooth, meaning they are glabrous (without hairs).
• They stand upright and are long and narrow, either straight or slightly curved.
• Each phyllode can be 1.5 to 6 cm (0.59 to 2.36 in) long and 1 to 3 mm (0.039 to 0.118 in) wide. They have a noticeable line down the middle.
• This plant blooms from September to October, showing off pretty yellow-cream flowers.

Where Does It Grow?

Acacia maxwellii lives along the southern coast of Western Australia. You can find it in regions like the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance.

• It likes to grow in flat areas, gently rolling plains, and along watercourses.
• The plant can grow in different types of soil, including sandy, sandy clay, loamy, or gravelly soils.
• Its natural home stretches from near the Stirling Range in the northwest all the way to Israelite Bay.
• It often grows as part of plant groups called shrub mallee and mallee heath communities. These are areas with many small trees and shrubs.