Gereera wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gereera wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
johnsonii
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Gereera Wattle (Acacia johnsonii) is a type of shrub. It is also known as the Geereva Wattle. This plant belongs to the Acacia family. It is naturally found in parts of eastern Australia.
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What is the Gereera Wattle?
This shrub usually grows to be about 1.5 to 3 meters (5 to 10 feet) tall. Its small branches are a bit sticky and have tiny hairs.
Like many Acacia plants, the Gereera Wattle does not have true leaves. Instead, it has special leaf-like parts called phyllodes. These phyllodes are flat and stay green all year round.
Phyllodes and Flowers
The phyllodes are long and narrow, like thin lines. They can be straight or slightly curved. They are smooth and green. Each phyllode is about 1 to 3 centimeters (0.4 to 1.2 inches) long. They are only 1 to 2 millimeters wide. They often get narrower near their base. Each phyllode usually has one to three faint lines, which are like tiny veins.
The Gereera Wattle blooms between August and October. It produces simple flower clusters. These clusters grow one by one in the upper parts of the plant where the phyllodes join the stem. The flower heads are round and golden in color. Each flower head has about 20 to 30 tiny flowers.
Naming the Gereera Wattle
The scientific name for this plant is Acacia johnsonii. The second part of its name, johnsonii, honors a person named Robert William Johnson. He was the one who first collected a sample of this plant in 1963. He found it north of Chinchilla.
Robert William Johnson was also once the Director of the Queensland Herbarium. A herbarium is like a library for dried plant samples.
Where Does it Grow?
The Gereera Wattle grows across a large area. You can find it in southeastern Queensland and central New South Wales.
It often grows in sandy areas called sand-plains. It likes sandy soils. It is usually found growing with other plants in communities of spinifex grasses.
