Acacia triptycha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Acacia triptycha |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
triptycha
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia triptycha is a type of shrub or small tree that belongs to the Acacia family. It's special because it only grows in a specific part of southwestern Australia. When a plant or animal only lives in one area, it is called endemic.
About This Plant
This bushy shrub or small tree usually grows between 0.6 and 4 meters (about 2 to 13 feet) tall. Its branches are smooth, but new growth can be golden and hairy. Like many Acacia plants, it has phyllodes instead of true leaves. Phyllodes are flattened leaf stems that look and act like leaves.
The phyllodes of Acacia triptycha are long and thin, like threads. They can be straight or slightly curved. They are smooth and stay green all year. Each phyllode is about 3 to 13 centimeters long and 1 to 2 millimeters wide. They have eight small veins running through them. This plant blooms from June to January, showing off its bright yellow flowers.
How It Was Named
The first official description of Acacia triptycha was made by a botanist named George Bentham in 1864. He included it in his big book called Flora Australiensis, which describes many Australian plants.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it. He gave it a new name, Racosperma triptychum. However, in 2006, scientists decided to move it back to the Acacia group, so its name became Acacia triptycha again.
Where It Grows
Acacia triptycha is found along the southern coast of Western Australia. You can see it in regions like the South West, Great Southern, and Goldfields-Esperance.
It often grows near granite rocks and on hills. It prefers soils that are sandy or made of gravelly clay. Sometimes, it grows in sandy soils mixed with laterite, quartzite, or granite. The plant's range stretches from around Busselton in the west. You can find scattered populations along the south coast, but most of them are located between Mount Frankland and Cape Arid National Park in the east.
