Atkin's wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Atkin's wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
atkinsiana
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| Acacia atkinsiana occurrence data from Australasia Virtual Herbarium | |
Acacia atkinsiana, commonly known as Atkin's wattle, is a type of shrub. It belongs to the large Acacia plant family. This plant grows only in Australia, meaning it is endemic there. The local Kurrama people call this shrub Bilari or Pilarri.
Description
Atkin's wattle is usually a bushy plant that spreads out. It can grow from 1.3 to 3.6 metres (4 to 12 ft) tall. Often, it looks like a "V" shape, but sometimes it's more rounded. It typically has three to six main stems, but some plants might have only one.
The plant has smooth bark that is light to dark grey. On older stems, the bark might have long cracks. Its leaves, called phyllodes, are grey-green or pale green. They are long and narrow, about 6 to 14.5 cm (2.4 to 5.7 in) long and 3 to 12 mm (0.12 to 0.47 in) wide. These leaves are stiff and stand upright. They have many parallel lines running along them.
This wattle blooms from December to March or from May to July. It produces bright yellow flowers. These flowers grow in round or oval-shaped clusters, called inflorescences, scattered across the plant. Each cluster is about 10 to 15 mm (0.39 to 0.59 in) long and 8 to 11 mm (0.31 to 0.43 in) wide. They are packed with 70 to 90 golden flowers.
After flowering, the plant forms flat, thin seed pods. These pods can be up to 10 cm (3.9 in) long and 4 to 6 mm (0.16 to 0.24 in) wide. They are grey-brown and can be straight or slightly curved. Inside the pods are shiny dark brown to black seeds. Each seed is about 4 to 5 mm (0.16 to 0.20 in) long and 2 mm (0.079 in) wide. They have a yellow center and a white part called an aril.
Taxonomy
A botanist named Bruce Maslin first officially described this plant in 1982. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Nuytsia. Later, in 2003, another botanist, Leslie Pedley, changed its scientific name. But by 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group.
Acacia atkinsiana is very similar to another plant called Acacia rhodophloia. The second part of its scientific name, atkinsiana, honors Ken Atkins. He helped collect information about this and other Acacia plants in the Pilbara region during the 1980s.
Distribution
Atkin's wattle grows naturally in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. You can find it around towns like Newman and Karratha. It likes to grow in loamy soil or on rocky ground. It is often found on flat areas, small hills, and ironstone hills.
There are also a few places where it grows further south in the Gascoyne region. These spots are near the Ashburton River. In the Pilbara, most of these plants are found between the central Hamersley Range and the North West Coastal Highway, east of Onslow.
This wattle often grows with other plants like spinifex grasses. It can also be found with other wattles, such as Acacia ancistrocarpa and Acacia bivenosa. It often forms thick groups of its own kind. This happens especially in areas that have been disturbed, like roadsides or places that have recently burned. It can grow back quickly from seeds after a fire.
