Acacia pelophila facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia pelophila |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
pelophila
|
Acacia pelophila is a special kind of shrub, a bit like a bush, that belongs to the Acacia family. It's found only in a small part of the west coast of Western Australia. This plant is unique because it's endemic there, meaning it doesn't naturally grow anywhere else in the world!
Contents
What Does Acacia pelophila Look Like?
This bushy plant usually grows to be about 0.9 to 2 metres (3 to 7 ft) tall. It often looks round or spreads out. Its new parts can feel a bit sticky, and its small branches are angled, smooth (glabrous means smooth!), and shaped like cylinders.
Its Special Leaves (Phyllodes)
Instead of regular leaves, like many Acacia plants, Acacia pelophila has special 'phyllodes'. Phyllodes are like flattened leaf stems that do the job of leaves. These phyllodes stay green all year and are smooth and leathery. They stand upright and are shaped like long, narrow spoons, either straight or slightly curved. Each phyllode is about 3.5 to 7.5 cm (1.4 to 3.0 in) long and 3 to 6 mm (0.12 to 0.24 in) wide. They have six to ten clear lines (nerves) on each side.
Flowers and Seed Pods
Acacia pelophila blooms from July to September, showing off its pretty yellow flowers. The flowers grow in pairs in the spots where the phyllodes meet the stem. These flower heads are round or oval-shaped, about 5.5 to 6 mm (0.22 to 0.24 in) long and 4.5 mm (0.18 in) across. Each head has 33 to 45 golden-colored flowers.
After the flowers, seed pods grow. These pods are firm but thin, shaped like a straight line or a string of beads. They can be up to 5 cm (2.0 in) long and about 1.5 mm (0.059 in) wide. The pods are a bit hairy and sticky. Inside, you'll find black, slightly shiny seeds. Each seed is shaped like a long oval, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, and has a small, fleshy cap called an aril at one end.
How Acacia pelophila Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described by two botanists, Richard Sumner Cowan and Bruce Maslin. Botanists are scientists who study plants. They wrote about it in a scientific paper called Acacia miscellany. Miscellaneous new taxa and lectotypifications in Western Australian Acacia, mostly section Plurinerves (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae). This paper was published in a journal called Nuytsia in 1999.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley changed its name to Racosperma pelophilum. But then, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia family.
Acacia pelophila is quite similar to Acacia sclerophylla and a bit less like Acacia spongolitica. It also looks a lot like Acacia lanei.
Where Acacia pelophila Lives
This plant grows naturally in a small area of the Mid West region of Western Australia. You can often find it along salty creek lines. It has a limited range, mostly to the northwest of Northampton. It prefers to grow in clay soils as part of mixed shrubland communities, which are areas with many different types of bushes and shrubs.
