Acacia notabilis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia notabilis |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
notabilis
|
 |
|
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Racosperma notabile (F.Muell.) Pedley |
|
Acacia notabilis, also known as mallee golden wattle, Flinders wattle, or stiff golden wattle, is a type of wattle tree. It belongs to the Acacia family and grows naturally in Australia.
What It Looks Like
This wattle usually grows to be about 3 to 5 m (9.8 to 16.4 ft) tall. It has a spreading shape and smooth, reddish-brown bark. Its branches are mostly round and very smooth.
Like many Acacia species, the mallee golden wattle doesn't have true leaves. Instead, it has special leaf-like parts called phyllodes. These phyllodes are thick, flat, and stiff. They can be grey to green in color and grow up to 15 cm (5.9 in) long and about 25 mm (0.98 in) wide. They are shaped like a long oval, either straight or slightly curved. You can see a clear main vein in the middle, with many thin veins branching off, and the edges are thicker.
The plant blooms between July and October. It produces short flower spikes that grow from the leaf bases. These spikes have round flower heads, each made up of 4 to 16 bright yellow flowers. After the flowers, brown seed pods grow. These pods are narrow and oblong, up to 7 cm (2.8 in) long and about 10 mm (0.39 in) wide. Inside, they hold hard, black, oval-shaped seeds that are about 6 mm (0.24 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) wide.
How It's Classified
Scientists group living things into categories. This is called taxonomy. The Acacia notabilis was first officially described in 1858 by a botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller. He included it in his work called Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. He moved it to a different group called Racosperma, so its name became Racosperma notabile. However, in 2014, it was moved back to the Acacia group. This plant is related to another wattle called Acacia beckleri.
Where It Grows
This wattle shrub grows in different parts of Australia. You can find it in the dry western area of New South Wales, near the Broken Hill district. It also grows in Victoria and South Australia.
Most of these plants are found in South Australia, where they are quite common. In South Australia, you can see them in places like the Eyre Peninsula, the Flinders Ranges, the Mount Lofty Ranges, and the Yorke Peninsula. They also grow in drier areas further inland.
Acacia notabilis usually prefers to grow in tough, shallow soils. These soils are often chalky, alkaline (not acidic), and can be red or brown. It's typically found in areas with low woodlands or open scrubland, which are types of plant communities.
