Bega wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bega wattle |
|
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
|
| Species: |
georgensis
|
 |
|
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Racosperma georgense (Tindale) Pedley |
|
The Bega wattle (Acacia georgensis), also known as Dr George Mountain wattle, is a special type of Acacia plant. It's a shrub or small tree that grows naturally in southeastern Australia. This plant was chosen as one of eleven species for a special event called the Save a Species Walk in 2016. Scientists walked 300 kilometers to collect seeds. These seeds are now kept safe at the Australian PlantBank, which is part of the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan. This helps protect the Bega wattle for the future.
Contents
What Does Bega Wattle Look Like?
The Bega wattle can grow as a shrub or a small tree. It usually reaches a height of 2 to 10 m (6 ft 7 in to 32 ft 10 in). Its bark is brown or grey and looks a bit like it has ridges or deep cracks.
Its young branches are smooth and round, but they can be a bit flat at the ends. These branches often have a fine white powder on them. Like most Acacia plants, the Bega wattle doesn't have true leaves. Instead, it has phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stems that act like leaves.
Phyllodes and Flowers
The phyllodes are always green and shaped like a narrow oval. They can also be slightly curved, like a sickle. They are usually 6 to 15 cm (2.4 to 5.9 in) long and 7 to 15 mm (0.28 to 0.59 in) wide, but some can be up to 30 mm (1.2 in) wide. You can see many thin lines running along the phyllodes, with three lines being clearer than the others.
The Bega wattle blooms between August and October. It produces bright yellow flowers that grow in oval or cylinder shapes. These flower heads are 0.7 to 3.5 cm (0.28 to 1.38 in) long and grow alone or in pairs where the phyllodes join the stem.
Seed Pods
After the flowers bloom, flat seed pods form. These pods are firm like paper or thin leather. They are straight but have bumps where each seed is inside. The pods are 2.5 to 7 cm (0.98 to 2.76 in) long and 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) wide. They might have a slightly scaly look and fine hairs along their edges. The seeds inside are arranged lengthwise.
Where Does Bega Wattle Grow?
The Bega wattle grows in a small area in southeastern New South Wales, Australia. You can find it around Tathra and Bega in the north. It also grows further south along the Great Dividing Range, near Bemboka, the Yowrie River, and Tuross River areas.
This plant often grows on rocky hillsides, slopes, and ridges. It prefers thin soils that are found over sandstone, conglomerate, or granite rocks. It is usually part of scrubland, heath, or open dry sclerophyll forest communities. These are types of forests with hard-leaved plants that can survive dry conditions.
