Acacia saliciformis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia saliciformis |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
saliciformis
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia saliciformis is a type of wattle plant. It can grow as a large shrub or a small tree. This plant belongs to the Acacia family. You can find it growing naturally in eastern Australia.
What Does It Look Like?
This plant usually grows to be about 2.5 to 7 meters (8 to 23 feet) tall. It often has a bushy shape. Its younger branches hang down and are reddish in color. The branches are smooth and dark red.
Like most Acacia plants, it has phyllodes instead of true leaves. Phyllodes are flattened leaf stalks that act like leaves. The phyllodes of Acacia saliciformis are thin and grey-green. They are shaped like narrow ellipses or spears. They can be straight or slightly curved. Each phyllode is about 5 to 12 centimeters (2 to 5 inches) long. They are also about 7 to 15 millimeters (0.3 to 0.6 inches) wide. They have a pointed tip and a clear middle vein.
When the plant blooms, it produces groups of flowers called racemose inflorescences. These are like flower clusters. The flowers are pale yellow to creamy white. They grow in round, ball-shaped heads. Each flower head has about 20 to 32 tiny flowers.
After the flowers, seed pods grow. These pods are firm and papery. They are broad and linear, or narrow and oblong. They are slightly raised along the middle. The pods can be up to 12 centimeters (5 inches) long. They are 10 to 18 millimeters (0.4 to 0.7 inches) wide. The pods are dark brown to blackish. They often have a light, powdery coating. Inside, the seeds are shiny black. They are arranged lengthwise in the pod. Each seed is oblong-elliptic in shape. They are about 6 to 8 millimeters (0.2 to 0.3 inches) long.
How It Was Named
The plant was first officially described in 1966. A botanist named Mary Tindale gave it its scientific name. This happened as part of a larger study about new Acacia plants in eastern Australia.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. He moved it to a different group called Racosperma saliciforme. But in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.
Where It Grows
Acacia saliciformis is endemic to a specific area. This means it only grows naturally in that one place. It is found in parts of New South Wales, Australia. You can find it between Bilpin in the south and Mount Kindarun in the north.
It grows on sandstone ridges. The soil there is thin and sandy. It is part of dry sclerophyll forest communities. Sclerophyll forests have plants with hard, tough leaves. These leaves help them survive in dry conditions.
