Soft-leaf wodjil facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Soft-leaf wodjil |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
yorkrakinensis
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia yorkrakinensis is a special kind of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family, also known as wattles. This plant is native to Western Australia and is part of a group of wattles called Juliflorae. It's a unique plant found only in certain parts of Australia.
What Does the Yorkrakine Wattle Look Like?
This wattle is a spreading shrub that can grow quite dense. It usually reaches a height of about 1 to 4 meters (around 3 to 13 feet). Its branches often start growing close to the ground.
- Leaves: The plant has grey-green, leaf-like parts called phyllodes. These phyllodes are long and narrow, sometimes a bit wider in the middle. They can be straight or slightly curved. They are usually about 3 to 16 centimeters (1 to 6 inches) long and 3 to 13 millimeters (0.1 to 0.5 inches) wide. You might notice reddish-brown edges and many thin lines running along them.
- Flowers: The Yorkrakine Wattle blooms with bright yellow flowers from July to September. These flowers grow in spikes, usually with one to four spikes grouped together. Each flower spike is about 10 to 22 millimeters long and 5 to 7 millimeters wide.
- Seed Pods: After the flowers, the plant forms long, narrow seed pods. These pods are raised in places where the seeds are inside. They can be around 11 centimeters (4 inches) long and about 5 to 5.5 millimeters wide. The seeds inside are shiny, black-brown, and have an oblong shape.
How Scientists Name This Plant
The Acacia yorkrakinensis was first officially described by a botanist named Charles Austin Gardner in 1942. He wrote about it in a scientific journal. Later, in 2003, another botanist, Leslie Pedley, gave it a different scientific name, Racosperma yorkrakinense. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.
The second part of its scientific name, yorkrakinensis, comes from Yorkrakine, a town in Western Australia. This is where the first sample of the plant was collected for study.
There are also two slightly different types, or subspecies, of this plant:
- Acacia yorkrakinensis subsp. acrita
- Acacia yorkrakinensis C.A.Gardner subsp. yorkrakinensis
Where Does the Yorkrakine Wattle Grow?
This wattle is special because it is endemic to Western Australia. This means it grows naturally only in that part of the world. You can find it in the Wheatbelt and Goldfields regions.
It likes to grow in different kinds of places, such as:
- Sandy plains
- Rocky hills
- Flat areas
It can grow in sandy, loamy, clay, or gravelly soils. You can find it from Wubin in the north, stretching southeast down to the area around Peak Charles National Park. It often grows as part of open shrubland communities, which are areas with many different types of shrubs.
