Acacia rigida facts for kids

Acacia rigida is a type of shrub, which is like a bushy plant. It belongs to a large group of plants called Acacia, also known as wattles. This particular wattle plant grows naturally only in certain parts of Western Australia.

What is Acacia rigida Like?

This special wattle plant is a compact or spreading shrub. This means it grows as a bushy plant that can be quite dense or spread out. It usually reaches about 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) tall and can spread up to 3.5 meters (about 11.5 feet) wide.

Its branches are reddish to orange in color. The smaller twigs are covered in tiny, soft hairs. It also has small, pointy leaf-like parts called stipules, which are about 2.5 to 3.5 millimeters long.

Instead of true leaves, Acacia rigida has tough, green structures called phyllodes. These phyllodes are shaped like a spearhead, sometimes narrow and long. They are sharp to the touch and smooth, measuring about 9 to 14 millimeters long and 1 to 1.2 millimeters wide. Each phyllode has five main veins, with one vein in the middle being very noticeable.

Flowers and Seed Pods

When it blooms, this plant produces simple inflorescences, which are groups of flowers. These flower groups appear one by one where the phyllodes meet the stem (this spot is called the axil). The flower-heads are round and contain 8 to 12 golden flowers that are not packed too tightly together.

After the flowers, the plant forms red-brown seed pods. These pods are slightly curved and can grow up to 6 centimeters (about 2.4 inches) long, with a width of about 4.5 millimeters. Inside these pods are oblong-shaped seeds, each about 5.5 millimeters long.

Where Does Acacia rigida Grow?

Acacia rigida is an endemic plant. This means it grows naturally only in a specific area and nowhere else in the world. For Acacia rigida, this area is parts of the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.

You can find it from Kellerberrin in the northeast, around Meckering in the northwest, and extending to parts of the Darling Range east of Mundaring in the southwest. It also grows as far south as Cuballing in the southeast.

This wattle prefers to grow in deep sandy soils, or in soils that are gravelly loam or clay. It is often found in areas with scrub (bushy plants) or woodland communities.