Golden grass wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Golden grass wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
applanata
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| Occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
The Golden grass wattle (scientific name: Acacia applanata) is a cool shrub that looks a bit like grass. It's also called grass wattle. You can find it growing naturally in the southwest part of Western Australia. It belongs to a big family of plants called Acacia.
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What Does It Look Like?
This shrub usually stands upright, but sometimes it can spread out along the ground. It typically grows to be about 0.5 to 1.0 metre (2 to 3 ft) tall, which is like half a meter to a full meter high. Its stems can spread out, helping the plant grow wider.
The Golden grass wattle has special leaf-like parts called phyllodes. These phyllodes are connected to the branches and form flat, opposite "wings" that are about 0.5 to 3 millimetres (0.02 to 0.12 in) wide. The free part of each phyllode is usually 1.5 to 5 millimetres (0.06 to 0.20 in) long. They are smooth and dark green.
Flowers and Seed Pods
This plant produces bright yellow flowers during winter and spring, usually from July to October. Each flower cluster has one to four round heads, and each head contains 10 to 20 golden flowers.
After the flowers bloom, curved, flat seed pods start to form. These pods are about 30 mm (1.2 in) long and 7 to 8 mm (0.28 to 0.31 in) wide. Inside the pods, you'll find oblong (oval-shaped) seeds that are about 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) long.
How It Was Named
The Golden grass wattle was first officially described in 1995 by a scientist named Bruce Maslin. He wrote about it in a scientific journal called Nuytsia.
For a short time in 2003, another scientist, Leslie Pedley, reclassified it into a different group called Racosperma. But by 2006, it was put back into the Acacia group, where it still is today.
The name applanata comes from a Latin word meaning "flattened" or "horizontally expanded." This refers to the flat, wing-like phyllodes of the plant.
This plant is quite similar to Acacia willdenowiana, and before 1995, people often thought they were the same species. It also looks a lot like Acacia anomala. Sometimes, it can even mix its genes with Acacia alata var. alata to create new hybrid plants.
Where It Grows
The Golden grass wattle is found in different spots across the southwest of Western Australia. You can see it from the west coast in the Wheatbelt region, stretching south through the Peel and South West regions, and even east into the Great Southern region.
It grows as far north as Jurien and as far south as Albany. You'll often find it in open woodlands, woodlands, and forest areas. Sometimes, it also grows in shrublands. It especially likes areas that get wet in winter, growing in sandy or loamy soils that have a lot of laterite.
Growing Golden Grass Wattle
If you want to grow Golden grass wattle, you can buy its seeds. Before planting, the seeds need a special treatment: you have to soak them in hot water.
This plant likes soils that drain water well, meaning they don't stay soggy. It also needs a spot where it gets some sun or even full sun. It's a great plant for helping to restore natural areas, planting along roadsides, or as a special feature plant in a garden that focuses on native plants.
