Acacia octonervia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia octonervia |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
octonervia
|
 |
|
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia octonervia is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family. It is found only in a small part of the southwestern coast of Australia. This means it is endemic to that area, so you won't find it growing naturally anywhere else in the world!
What it Looks Like
This spreading shrub usually grows to be about 0.1 to 0.5 meters (about 4 inches to 1.6 feet) tall. Its branches are smooth and reddish-brown, often looking quite shiny. They have small, triangular leaf-like parts called stipules that stay on the plant. These are about 1.5 to 2 millimeters long. Like most Acacia plants, Acacia octonervia has phyllodes instead of true leaves. Phyllodes are flattened leaf stalks that act like leaves. The phyllodes of this plant are stiff, round, green, and stand upright. They can be straight or slightly curved. They are about 1 to 5 centimeters long and 1 to 1.5 millimeters wide. A cool fact about these phyllodes is that they have eight raised lines or "nerves" that are spaced far apart. This plant blooms from August to November, showing off its pretty cream-yellow flowers.
How it's Grouped
Acacia octonervia is closely related to another plant called Acacia sulcata. Scientists group these plants together in what they call the A. sulcata group within the Acacia family.
Where it Grows
This plant naturally grows in a specific area of Western Australia. You can find it in the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions. It often grows on gently rolling plains and on small hills made of laterite (a type of soil rich in iron and aluminum). It prefers gravelly sand, sandy-clay, or loamy soils. The area where it grows stretches from the Fitzgerald River in the west to near the Young River in the east. Some smaller groups of these plants can also be found further west near Boxwood Hill. You will usually see Acacia octonervia growing in dense, low heathlands, open mallee (a type of eucalyptus woodland), and open dwarf scrubland communities.
