Famine wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Famine wattle |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
infecunda
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The Acacia infecunda, also known as famine wattle, is a type of shrub. It belongs to the Acacia family, which is a large group of plants. This plant is native to parts of south-eastern Australia.
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What Does the Famine Wattle Look Like?
This shrub usually grows to be about 0.3 to 0.5 meters (about 1 to 1.6 feet) tall. It can sometimes spread out as wide as 1.2 meters (about 4 feet). The plant easily grows new shoots from its roots, which is called "suckering." Its branches are smooth and do not have any hairs.
The famine wattle has unique leaf-like structures called phyllodes. These are actually flattened leaf stems that act like leaves. They are grey-green in color and are quite thin and flat. Each phyllode is about 12 to 25 millimeters (about 0.5 to 1 inch) long and 1 to 1.5 millimeters (about 0.04 to 0.06 inches) wide. They have a faint central vein, but no side veins.
How Does it Flower?
The famine wattle blooms between August and October. Its flowers grow in small, round clusters called inflorescences. These clusters are about 3 to 5 millimeters (about 0.1 to 0.2 inches) across. Each flower cluster contains five to nine golden-colored flowers. These flower clusters grow in groups of five to ten along a short stem, forming a "raceme" that is about 1 to 3 centimeters (about 0.4 to 1.2 inches) long.
Discovering the Famine Wattle
This plant was officially named and described in 2008. Two botanists, Bill Molyneux and S. G. Forrester, wrote about it in a scientific journal called Muelleria. They were studying new Acacia species in a region of Victoria, Australia. The famine wattle is related to another plant called Acacia boormanii, but that plant grows much taller.
Where Does the Famine Wattle Live?
The famine wattle is quite rare and only grows in a small area. You can find it in north-western Victoria, Australia. Specifically, it grows south of a place called Wulgulmerang, near Splitters Creek. It prefers rocky areas that are high up, in dry open forests. The plant grows in shallow, rocky soils.
There is only one known small group of these plants left. They are found on the Wombargo Range, near the beginning of the Little River. The Little River is a small stream that flows into the Snowy River. Because it's so rare, it's important to protect this unique shrub.
