Acacia minutissima facts for kids

Acacia minutissima is a special type of shrub that belongs to the plant group called Acacia. It's found only in certain parts of western Australia, meaning it's endemic there.

What Does it Look Like?

This shrub is quite unique! It has many branches that spread out, making it look open and sometimes low to the ground. It usually grows to be about 0.3 to 1.5 meters (about 1 to 5 feet) tall and can spread out 1 to 3 meters (about 3 to 10 feet) wide.

Its main stem often splits close to the ground, forming branches that spread out sideways. The bark is a light grey color and feels a bit rough. The younger branches are smooth and have fine ribs. They start as a light or reddish-brown color but turn grey as they get older.

Like most Acacia plants, this shrub doesn't have true leaves. Instead, it has what are called phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stalks that act like leaves. The phyllodes of Acacia minutissima are smooth, green, and about 3 to 7 millimeters long and 2 to 3 millimeters wide. They have an interesting, uneven shape, like an oval or a wedge, and end with a stiff, sharp, brown tip that's about 0.5 to 1 millimeter long.

How It Got Its Name

This plant was officially described by a botanist named Bruce Maslin in 2008. He wrote about it in a scientific paper called New taxa of Acacia (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) and notes on other species from the Pilbara and adjacent desert regions of Western Australia. This paper was published in a journal called Nuytsia.

The second part of its scientific name, minutissima, comes from Latin words. It means "very small," which is a good description for its tiny phyllodes!

Where Does It Live?

Acacia minutissima grows naturally in the Pilbara and Goldfields-Esperance areas of Western Australia. You can find it from the eastern edge of the Pilbara, near Balfour Downs Station, all the way east to the Little Sandy Desert around Lake Disappointment.

It doesn't grow everywhere in these areas; instead, it's found in scattered groups. Even though its populations are spread out, it's not uncommon in the places where it does grow.

This shrub often lives in sandy or loamy soils, sometimes with a layer of gravel. You'll usually find it in the low areas between sand dunes or on flat plains. It's typically part of plant communities called "shrub steppes," often growing with a type of grass called spinifex underneath.