Acacia sericocarpa facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia sericocarpa |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
sericocarpa
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia sericocarpa is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. This special plant is found only in the southwestern part of Australia. It's a unique part of the Australian landscape!
Contents
About the Acacia sericocarpa Plant
This spreading shrub usually grows to be about 0.4 to 2.0 metres (1.3 to 6.6 ft) tall. It often has a round shape and a thick top, with small branches that feel a bit hairy.
Leaves and Flowers
Like most Acacia plants, Acacia sericocarpa has special leaf-like structures called phyllodes instead of true leaves. These phyllodes are green and can be slightly wavy or stiff. They are usually shaped like an oval or ellipse, measuring about 1 to 2.5 cm (0.39 to 0.98 in) long and 5 to 12 mm (0.20 to 0.47 in) wide. Each phyllode has one main vein.
The plant blooms from August to September, showing off its pretty yellow flowers. These flowers grow in pairs in the leaf axils (the spot where a leaf or branch joins the main stem). Each flower head is round, about 4 to 5 mm (0.16 to 0.20 in) across, and contains 15 to 24 bright golden flowers.
Seed Pods and Seeds
After the flowers bloom, the plant forms seed pods. These pods are twisted or coiled like a spiral and are about 1 cm (0.39 in) long and 2.5 to 3 mm (0.098 to 0.118 in) wide. They are thin and covered with soft, woolly hairs.
Inside the pods are shiny brown seeds. Each seed is oval-shaped, about 2 to 2.5 mm (0.079 to 0.098 in) long, and has a bright orange aril. An aril is a fleshy covering around the seed.
How Acacia sericocarpa Got Its Name
This plant was first officially described in 1904 by a botanist named William Vincent Fitzgerald. He included it in his work called Additions to the West Australian Flora.
For a short time in 2003, it was given a different scientific name, Racosperma sericocarpum, by another botanist, Leslie Pedley. But by 2006, it was moved back to its original group, the Acacia genus.
Where Acacia sericocarpa Grows
Acacia sericocarpa is found naturally in specific areas of Western Australia. You can find it in the Wheatbelt and Goldfields-Esperance regions.
It usually grows on flat land in soils that are loamy (a mix of sand, silt, and clay) or sandy-clay. The plant's home stretches from Wyalkathem in the north, down to places like Corrigin and Beverly in the south. It also reaches east towards Queen Victoria Rock.
You'll often see this shrub growing in open woodlands where Eucalyptus trees are common. It can also be found in mallee woodlands or in shrublands alongside plants like Melaleuca uncinata and different types of Casuarina.
