Chewings Range wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chewings Range wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
dolichophylla
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia dolichophylla, also known as the Chewings Range wattle, is a type of shrub that belongs to the Acacia family. This special plant is only found in the dry, central parts of Australia. It's a unique plant that grows in a specific area!
What Does the Chewings Range Wattle Look Like?
This shrub usually grows about 3 to 4 meters (10 to 13 feet) tall. It has a bushy shape with small, ribbed, and slightly hairy branches. Like most Acacia plants, it doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, it has something called phyllodes.
These phyllodes are always green and look like long, thin blades. They get narrower towards the end, almost like a sharp point. Each phyllode is about 12 to 19 centimeters (5 to 7.5 inches) long and only 1 to 2 millimeters wide. They also have three noticeable lines, or "nerves," running along them.
The plant's flowers grow in small groups, usually one to five together. These groups are found along tiny stems that are only about 0.5 to 2 millimeters long. The flowers themselves form round heads, like small balls, about 4.5 millimeters across. Each flower head has about 25 pale yellow flowers.
How Was This Plant Discovered and Named?
The Chewings Range wattle was first officially described in 1980 by a botanist named Bruce Maslin. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley changed its name for a short time. But in 2006, it was changed back to its original Acacia name. This plant looks a lot like Acacia praelongata and Acacia estrophiolata. Scientists also think it's related to Acacia tenuior. The very first sample of this plant, called a type specimen, was collected in 1975 near a place called Ormiston Pound.
Where Does This Wattle Grow?
You can usually find the Chewings Range wattle in sheltered, steep valleys. It likes to grow on rocky hills made of a type of rock called schist. It only grows in a small area of the Chewings Range, which is in the southern part of the Northern Territory in Australia.
