Acacia spongolitica facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia spongolitica |
|
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
spongolitica
|
 |
|
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia spongolitica is a special type of shrub, which is a woody plant smaller than a tree. It belongs to the Acacia group, also known as wattles. This plant is endemic to southwestern Australia. This means it grows naturally only in that specific part of the world.
What Does Acacia Spongolitica Look Like?
This shrub is usually spreading out, meaning it grows wide. It also has a nice smell and feels a bit sticky because it's resinous. It typically grows to be about 1 to 3 meters (3 to 10 feet) tall. It can spread out even wider, from 1.5 to 4 meters (5 to 13 feet) across.
The plant blooms, or flowers, from July to September. Its flowers are bright yellow. Its branches are also resinous and glabrous, which means they are smooth and hairless. The tips of the branches are angled.
Like most Acacia species, this plant doesn't have true leaves. Instead, it has phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stalks that act like leaves. The phyllodes of Acacia spongolitica are smooth, leathery, and stay green all year. They can be shaped like a line or an oval. They are usually 3 to 7 centimeters (1.2 to 2.8 inches) long and 4 to 7 millimeters (0.16 to 0.28 inches) wide. Each phyllode has one or two main veins and several other veins that run parallel but are less noticeable.
How Scientists Name and Group This Plant
Scientists who study plants are called botanists. The botanists Richard Sumner Cowan and Bruce Maslin first officially described Acacia spongolitica in 1990. They did this as part of their work on certain Acacia species from Western Australia. Their findings were published in a science journal called Nuytsia.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. He gave it a new name, Racosperma spongoliticum. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.
Acacia spongolitica is part of a group of wattles called the Acacia flavipila group. Scientists believe it is most closely related to other wattles like Acacia lanei, Acacia ixiophylla, and Acacia veronica. It also looks quite similar to Acacia pelophila.
Where Does Acacia Spongolitica Grow?
This plant is native to two regions in Western Australia: the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance areas. It often grows in specific places like granite riverbeds or creek beds. It can also be found on spongolite breakaways. Spongolite is a type of rock that forms from ancient sea sponges.
Acacia spongolitica prefers to grow in shallow, rocky soils. Its natural range stretches from around Ongerup in the west to near Ravensthorpe in the east. It also grows south towards the coast, around the Beaufort Inlet and Fitzgerald River National Park. You can often find it as part of low Eucalyptus woodland communities, which are forests mainly made up of Eucalyptus trees.
