Acacia stipuligera facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia stipuligera |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
stipuligera
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia stipuligera is a type of tree or shrub. It belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. This plant grows naturally in the dry and warm areas of northern Australia.
Contents
What Does the Acacia Stipuligera Look Like?
This plant can be a tree or a shrub. It usually has many stems. It grows to be about 1 to 6 metres (3 to 20 ft) tall. It often has a round, bushy shape. Its bark is light to dark grey. The bark has cracks and peels off in small pieces.
The small branches are round. They can be covered in fine hairs. They have small, dark brown leaf-like parts called stipules. These are about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. The leaves are called phyllodes. They are green and shaped like narrow ellipses. They are flat and can be straight or slightly curved. Each phyllode is 3.5 to 9.5 cm (1.4 to 3.7 in) long. They are also 7 to 20 mm (0.28 to 0.79 in) wide. Each leaf has two or three main lines running along it.
When Does the Acacia Stipuligera Flower?
This plant can flower at different times across Australia. In Western Australia, it flowers from May to September. It produces bright yellow flowers. These flowers grow in dense spikes. The spikes are 2 to 5 cm (0.79 to 1.97 in) long. They grow in pairs where the leaves meet the stem.
After the flowers, long, straight or curved seed pods grow. These pods are 5.5 to 13.5 cm (2.2 to 5.3 in) long. They are about 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) wide. Inside the pods are dark brown seeds. The seeds are narrow and oblong. They are about 5 mm (0.20 in) long.
Where Does the Acacia Stipuligera Grow?
Acacia stipuligera is found in central Queensland and the Northern Territory. In Western Australia, you can find it in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions.
It likes to grow in flat or gently rolling areas. It prefers red sandy and loamy soils. You often see it as part of scrub or woodland areas. It often grows near a type of grass called spinifex.
How Was the Acacia Stipuligera Named?
The first official description of this plant was made in 1859. A botanist named Ferdinand von Mueller described it. He wrote about it in a scientific paper. Later, in 1987, another botanist, Leslie Pedley, gave it a different name, Racosperma stipuligerum. But in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.
