Acacia pedina facts for kids
Acacia pedina is a special kind of tree or shrub that belongs to the Acacia family. You can find it growing naturally in eastern Australia.
Quick facts for kids Acacia pedina |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
pedina
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
What it Looks Like
This shrub or small tree usually grows to be about 2 to 5 meters (6.5 to 16 feet) tall. Sometimes, it can even reach up to 7 meters (23 feet)! Its branches are smooth and bendy, and they often have a fine white powder on them.
Just like most Acacia plants, Acacia pedina doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, it has what are called phyllodes. These are like flattened leaf stems that do the job of leaves. The adult phyllodes are always green and shaped a bit like a spoon or a wide oval. They can be straight or slightly curved. They are usually 5 to 12 centimeters (2 to 4.7 inches) long and 12 to 43 millimeters (0.5 to 1.7 inches) wide. The phyllodes are smooth and can be bluish-green to brownish-green. They have one main vein that stands out.
This plant blooms between July and October. Its flowers grow in clusters that look like spikes or branched groups. These clusters are usually 1 to 9 centimeters (0.4 to 3.5 inches) long. The flower-heads are round, sometimes a little egg-shaped, and contain 25 to 40 bright yellow to golden flowers.
After the flowers, Acacia pedina produces seed pods. These pods are flat, thin, and shaped like a line. They can be up to 12 centimeters (4.7 inches) long and 5 to 7.5 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) wide. Inside the pods, the seeds are blackish to brown and are arranged lengthwise. The seeds are shaped like an oval or a rectangle and are about 4 to 6 centimeters (1.6 to 2.4 inches) long. Each seed has a small, club-shaped attachment called an aril.
Where it Grows
Acacia pedina is a plant that is endemic to New South Wales in Australia. This means it only grows naturally in this specific area and nowhere else in the world. You can find it from around Bermagui in the north down to near Tathra in the south. It often grows on headlands (pieces of land sticking out into the sea) or behind sand dunes. It prefers sandy or clay loam soils and is usually found as part of open Eucalyptus forest communities.
Images for kids
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Map showing where Acacia pedina is found in Australia.
