Acacia obtecta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia obtecta |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
obtecta
|
 |
|
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia obtecta is a special kind of shrub. It belongs to the Acacia family, which is a very large group of plants. This particular acacia is only found in a small part of southwestern Australia. This means it is an endemic species.
Contents
About the Acacia obtecta Plant
This bushy shrub usually grows to be about 1.5 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) tall. It can have a round or cone-like shape. Its branches are pale grey and have slight ribs. They are also glabrous, which means they are smooth and hairless.
Like most Acacia plants, Acacia obtecta does not have true leaves. Instead, it has phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stalks that look and act like leaves. The phyllodes of this plant are smooth and stay green all year. They stand out or point upwards. They are long and narrow, like a strap, and can be straight or slightly curved.
Phyllodes and Flowers
Each phyllode is about 7 to 10 centimeters (2.7 to 4 inches) long. They are about 4 to 6 millimeters (0.15 to 0.23 inches) wide. Each one has a curved, pointed tip. You can also see three slightly raised lines, or nerves, on each side of the phyllode.
The Acacia obtecta blooms from August to October. It produces bright yellow flowers. These flowers grow in simple groups, either alone or in clusters of up to four. Each flower cluster is shaped like a ball and is about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) across. Inside each ball, there are 20 to 36 golden-colored flowers.
Seed Pods
After the flowers bloom, papery seed pods form. These pods look a bit like a string of beads. They are smooth and can grow up to about 14 centimeters (5.5 inches) long. The pods are about 7 to 9 millimeters (0.27 to 0.35 inches) wide. Inside these pods are dull, mottled brown seeds. The seeds are broadly oval in shape and are about 6 to 7.5 millimeters (0.23 to 0.29 inches) long.
How Acacia obtecta Got Its Name
The Acacia obtecta was first officially described by two botanists. These scientists were Joseph Maiden and William Blakely. They wrote about it in 1927. This was part of a bigger project where they described many new types of Acacia plants from western and northern Australia. Their work was published in a scientific paper called Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified this shrub. He moved it to a different genus, calling it Racosperma obtectum. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia genus.
This shrub is most closely related to another plant called Acacia speckii. It also looks similar to Acacia heteroclita and Acacia websteri.
Where Acacia obtecta Grows
This plant naturally grows in a specific part of Western Australia. This area includes parts of the Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance regions. You can often find it growing on flat areas. It prefers sandy loam, clay, or loamy soils.
The area where this shrub grows is quite limited. It stretches from Paynes Find in the north down to Wubin in the south. To the east, it reaches around Kununoppin. There is also a group of these plants found near Lake Barlee.
