Acacia quadrilateralis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia quadrilateralis |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
quadrilateralis
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia quadrilateralis is a type of shrub, which is a small, bushy plant. It belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. This plant is originally from the northeastern part of Australia.
Contents
About the Acacia quadrilateralis
What it Looks Like
This shrub can grow up to 3 meters (about 10 feet) tall. It often looks a bit thin and has slender branches.
Unlike many plants, Acacia quadrilateralis doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, it has special leaf-like structures called phyllodes. These phyllodes are found in small groups of two or three along the branches. They are thin, stiff, and stay green all year round. If you look closely, they are almost square-shaped when you cut across them. They can be 2 to 6 centimeters long and about 0.5 to 1 millimeter wide. They also have four main veins.
Flowers and Seeds
The shrub blooms between July and September. It produces simple flower clusters, which are called inflorescences. These clusters appear one by one where the phyllodes meet the stem. Each cluster has a round flower-head with 12 to 30 flowers that are cream to pale yellow.
After the flowers, dark brown seed pods grow. They look a bit like a string of beads. These pods can be up to 9 centimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. Inside, they hold seeds that are arranged lengthwise. The seeds are dull black, dark brown, or yellow, and are shaped like an oblong (a stretched circle). They are about 4 to 6 millimeters long.
How it Got its Name
The scientific name quadrilateralis describes the plant's phyllodes. "Quadrilateralis" means "four-sided," which refers to the almost square shape of the phyllodes when you look at their cross-section.
Where it Grows
This plant is endemic, meaning it naturally grows only in a specific area. For Acacia quadrilateralis, that area is southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales in Australia.
Most of these plants are found between Bundaberg in the north and down to the Sydney area in the south. They usually grow in sandy soils, often over sandstone rock. You can find them in open Eucalyptus woodlands. In the Sydney area, they are mostly found north of Botany Bay. Sadly, they have disappeared from areas further south. A small group of these plants can still be found on a headland near Ulladulla, where the coastal land is untouched.
Images for kids
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A close-up of Acacia quadrilateralis showing its unique phyllodes.
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A map showing where Acacia quadrilateralis is found in Australia.
