Acacia rigescens facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia rigescens |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
rigescens
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The Acacia rigescens is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia plant group. It is found naturally in the northern parts of Australia.
What is Acacia rigescens Like?
This shrub usually has one main stem and can grow to be about 0.6 to 3 meters (2 to 10 feet) tall. It often looks a bit thin and can feel sticky. Its bark is smooth and grey, and its branches are angular, pale yellow, or brownish.
Like many Acacia plants, it doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, it has special leaf-like structures called phyllodes. These phyllodes are shiny green, stiff, and stand upright on the branches. They are straight and flat, tapering slightly at the bottom. Each phyllode is typically 4.5 to 8.5 centimeters (1.8 to 3.3 inches) long and 3 to 4 millimeters (0.1 to 0.2 inches) wide, with a clear vein down the middle.
Acacia rigescens blooms with beautiful golden flowers between June and July. The flowers grow in cylinder-shaped spikes, either alone or in pairs. Each spike is about 2.5 to 3.5 centimeters (1 to 1.4 inches) long and is packed with these bright golden blooms.
How Was Acacia rigescens Named?
This plant was officially described for the first time in 1996 by two botanists, Mary Tindale and Michael Bedward. They published their findings in a science journal called Australian Systematic Botany.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it under a different name, Racosperma rigescens. However, in 2006, it was moved back into the Acacia group, which is where it remains today.
Where Does Acacia rigescens Grow?
Acacia rigescens is endemic to a small part of the Northern Territory in Australia. This means it is only found naturally in this specific area. You can find it in the Kakadu National Park and parts of Arnhem Land.
It grows on sandstone plateaus, which are flat, high areas made of sandstone, often with stony quartz surfaces. It can grow in different types of soil. This shrub is usually found in open woodlands and shrublands where Eucalyptus trees are common.
