Acacia scirpifolia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia scirpifolia |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
scirpifolia
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia scirpifolia is a type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to a big group of plants called Acacia, which are often known as wattles. This particular acacia is special because it only grows in western Australia. When a plant or animal only lives in one specific area, we say it is endemic to that place.
What it Looks Like
This plant is usually a thick shrub or a small tree. It can grow to be about 1 to 4 metres (3 to 13 ft) tall. Its branches are smooth and bendy. They have small, light-brown leaf-like parts called stipules that fall off easily. These stipules are about 2 to 6 mm (0.079 to 0.236 in) long.
The leaves of Acacia scirpifolia are not flat like typical leaves. Instead, they are long, smooth, and fleshy, like thin green tubes. These special leaves are called phyllodes. They are about 7 to 20 cm (2.8 to 7.9 in) long and only 1 to 1.5 mm (0.039 to 0.059 in) wide. They might curve slightly at the tip.
Flowers and Seeds
This acacia blooms with yellow flowers from August to October. The flowers grow in groups of three to six along a stem. Each flower-head is round, about 5 to 6 mm (0.20 to 0.24 in) across, and filled with 20 to 30 bright golden flowers.
After the flowers bloom, the plant makes seed pods. These pods look a bit like a string of beads. They can grow up to 16 cm (6.3 in) long and are about 4 to 5 mm (0.16 to 0.20 in) wide. Inside the pods are shiny black seeds. The seeds are about 5 to 7 mm (0.20 to 0.28 in) long and have an oval or narrow oval shape.
How it was Named
The first official description of Acacia scirpifolia was made by a botanist named Carl Meissner. He described it in 1855 in a scientific work called Botanische Zeitung.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley changed its name to Racosperma scirpifolium. But then, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group. Sometimes, people confuse this plant with another similar species called Acacia restiacea.
Where it Grows
Acacia scirpifolia is found in the Mid West and Wheatbelt areas of Western Australia. It likes to grow in sandy soils that have gravel in them.
You can find it from the Cooloomia Nature Reserve in the north, all the way down to places like Moora in the south. It often grows along the sides of roads.
