Robe's wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robe's wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
robeorum
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Robe's wattle, also known as Acacia robeorum, is a type of shrub. It belongs to the Acacia family, which includes many different wattles. This plant is special because it only grows in the northwestern part of Australia. When a plant or animal only lives in one specific area, it is called endemic.
What Does Robe's Wattle Look Like?
This shrub usually grows to be about 2 to 3 meters tall. That's like two or three grown-ups standing on top of each other! It has a spread-out, open shape with many stems. The main stems are often a bit bent.
Its main stems have smooth, grey bark. The bark on the upper branches is a lighter bronze color. The small branches are round and smooth. They have yellowish or bronze lines that are hard to see.
Robe's wattle has small, pointy parts called stipules. These are found at the base of the leaves and are about 1.5 to 4 millimeters long. As the plant gets older, it has fewer of these stipules.
Like most Acacia plants, Robe's wattle doesn't have true leaves. Instead, it has special leaf-like structures called phyllodes. These phyllodes are thick and stay green all year. They are long and narrow, like a thin blade. Each phyllode is about 15 to 35 millimeters long and 1 to 4 millimeters wide. They have a faint line down the middle.
Where Does Robe's Wattle Grow?
Robe's wattle is found in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions of Western Australia. These areas are in the northwestern part of the country.
You can find this shrub from places like Marble Bar and Pardoo Station in the north of the Pilbara. Its range goes south to Ethel Creek Station. It also grows as far east as Rudall River National Park in the Little Sandy Desert.
This plant often grows along natural water paths, like small creeks or dry riverbeds. It prefers to grow in sandy soil or thin sandy soil. This soil is usually found over hard rock layers like laterite, granite, or quartz. Robe's wattle is often part of spinifex grassland communities. Spinifex is a type of tough grass common in these dry areas.
