Acacia tessellata facts for kids

Acacia tessellata is a special kind of shrub or small tree. It belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. This plant is endemic, meaning it only grows naturally in a small part of eastern Australia.

What Does Acacia tessellata Look Like?

This plant can grow quite tall, from about 2.5 to 15 m (8 ft 2 in to 49 ft 3 in) high. Its bark is a mix of grey and light brown, and it looks like it's made of small, flat tiles, which is called "tessellated." The branches are smooth and have clear ridges.

Leaves and Flowers

Like many Acacia plants, it doesn't have typical leaves. Instead, it has what are called phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stems that act like leaves. The phyllodes are smooth and stay green all year. They are long and narrow, usually 8 to 18 cm (3.1 to 7.1 in) long and 3 to 9 mm (0.12 to 0.35 in) wide. Each phyllode has one main vein and a few smaller ones running along it.

Acacia tessellata blooms in January and February. Its flowers grow in round clusters, like little balls, about 7 to 10 mm (0.28 to 0.39 in) across. Each flower-head has 25 to 36 very pale yellow flowers. These flower clusters grow where the phyllodes meet the stem.

Seed Pods

After the flowers bloom, the plant forms leathery, smooth seed pods. These pods are flat and straight, with slight bumps where the seeds are inside. They can be 5 to 15 cm (2.0 to 5.9 in) long and 4 to 6 mm (0.16 to 0.24 in) wide.

How Was Acacia tessellata Named?

Scientists Mary Tindale and Peter Kodela first officially described this plant in 1991. They wrote about it in a scientific journal called Australian Systematic Botany. Their work helped us understand this new species.

Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. But in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group, where it remains today.

Where Does Acacia tessellata Grow?

You can find Acacia tessellata in the northeastern part of New South Wales, Australia. It grows from the North Coast up to the edge of the Northern Tablelands.

This plant prefers to grow in exposed places, like on high ridges. It's often found in wet sclerophyll forest (a type of forest with tough, dry leaves) or scrubland. You might also see it along the edges of cool-temperate rainforests. Its range stretches from Werrikimbe National Park in the south, where it's common on Mount Boss and Mount Banda Banda, all the way to Washpool National Park in the north.