Acacia silvestris facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia silvestris |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
silvestris
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia silvestris, often called the Bodalla silver wattle, is a type of tree. It belongs to the Acacia family, which includes many different wattle trees. This special wattle grows naturally only in parts of south-eastern New South Wales and coastal Victoria in Australia.
About the Bodalla Silver Wattle
This tree can grow straight up or spread out. It usually reaches a height of about 6 to 30 meters (20 to 98 feet). Its trunk can be quite wide, up to 1.8 meters (6 feet) across. The bark is smooth and grey, sometimes looking patchy.
The small branches are round and have faint ridges. They are covered in thick white or grey hairs. The leaves are green, but they turn a silvery color when they dry. Each leaf has a main stem, called a rachis, which is 6 to 14 centimeters long. From this main stem, there are 5 to 18 pairs of smaller leaf branches, called pinnae. Each of these branches has 17 to 50 pairs of tiny leaflets, called pinnules. These pinnules are narrow and shaped like a spear, measuring 3 to 10.5 millimeters long and 0.7 to 1.5 millimeters wide.
The Bodalla silver wattle flowers from July to September. It produces bright yellow flower clusters. These clusters can grow from the leaf joints (axillary) or at the very end of the branches (terminal panicles).
Where the Bodalla Silver Wattle Grows
The Acacia silvestris is a unique tree that is found only in south-eastern Australia. It grows from the Bodalla State Forest in New South Wales in the north. Its range extends south to the highlands of East Gippsland in Victoria.
You can often find this wattle on rocky hillsides or next to steep valleys. It also grows on flat areas near rivers (alluvial flats) and on the top of ridges that connect two hills (saddle of ridges). It can grow in different types of soil, especially those over slate rock. The Bodalla silver wattle is usually part of open Eucalyptus forests. Sometimes, it even forms large forests all by itself.
