Acacia ommatosperma facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia ommatosperma |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
ommatosperma
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia ommatosperma is a type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to the Acacia family, which is a large group of plants. This particular acacia is found only in a specific part of northwestern Australia. This means it is "endemic" to that area.
What Does Acacia ommatosperma Look Like?
This plant can be a shrub or a small tree. It has branches that hang down, almost like they are weeping. Its younger branches are smooth and have sharp edges. Like most acacias, it doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, it has special flattened stems called phyllodes that act like leaves.
These phyllodes are smooth and feel a bit like leather. They are long and narrow, usually about 9.5 to 12.5 centimeters (about 4 to 5 inches) long and 7 to 14 millimeters (about 0.3 to 0.5 inches) wide. Each phyllode has three to five main veins.
When the plant blooms, it produces round clusters of bright yellow flowers. These flower clusters appear alone or in pairs where the phyllodes join the stem. After the flowers, thin, leathery seed pods grow. These pods are long and narrow, up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) long and 6 to 8 millimeters wide. They are bumpy where the seeds are and squeezed in between them. Inside, the pods hold dull, dark brown seeds.
How Was Acacia ommatosperma Named?
The first official description of this plant was made by a botanist named Leslie Pedley. He described it in 1987 and gave it the name Racosperma ommatospermum. Later, in 1990, it was moved into the Acacia group and given its current name, Acacia ommatosperma.
Where Does Acacia ommatosperma Grow?
This shrub grows in a very small area in far northern Queensland, Australia. You can find it on the Cape York Peninsula, especially around a town called Weipa. It likes to grow in gravelly soils that contain ironstone.
