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Acacia mooreana facts for kids

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Acacia mooreana
Scientific classification
Genus:
Acacia
Species:
mooreana
Acacia mooreanaDistMap609.png
Occurrence data from AVH

Acacia mooreana is a type of bush, also known as a shrub, that belongs to the Acacia family. It is special because it is found only in the southwestern part of Australia. When a plant or animal is found only in one specific place, it is called endemic.

What is Acacia mooreana Like?

This Acacia is a straight, thin, and somewhat spiky bush. It usually grows to be about 0.2 to 1 meter (which is about 0.6 to 3.3 feet) tall.

Branches and Leaves

Its branches are mostly smooth, but sometimes they have a few hairs, and they often have yellow stripes. Most Acacia plants, including Acacia mooreana, don't have regular leaves. Instead, they have something called phyllodes. Phyllodes are like flattened leaf stems that do the job of leaves.

The phyllodes of Acacia mooreana are:

  • A bit spiky
  • Smooth
  • Always green (evergreen)
  • Shaped like a triangle, but unevenly
  • About 4 to 6 millimeters long
  • About 3 to 6 millimeters wide
  • They have a main vein that runs along one side.

Flowers

This plant blooms with yellow-cream colored flowers. You can usually see these flowers between May and September.

How Acacia mooreana Got Its Name

The first time this plant was officially described was in 1904. A botanist named William Vincent Fitzgerald wrote about it in a science paper.

Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley changed its name to Racosperma mooreanum. But then, in 2006, it was changed back to its original name, Acacia mooreana.

Where Acacia mooreana Grows

Acacia mooreana is found along the southern coast of Western Australia. It grows in the South West and Great Southern regions.

You can often find it in:

  • Areas along small rivers or streams
  • Swampy places

It likes to grow in sandy soils, especially where there is a type of reddish soil called laterite. Most of these plants are found in a wide area, from Yallingup in the west to Boyanup in the north. It also grows down to Augusta in the southwest and near Nannup in the southeast. It usually grows as part of Eucalyptus forest communities.

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