Mitchell Plateau wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mitchell Plateau wattle |
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|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
dissimilis
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The Acacia dissimilis, also known as the Mitchell Plateau wattle, is a type of shrub. It belongs to the Acacia plant family. This special wattle is found only in a small part of north-western Australia. When a plant or animal is found only in one specific area, it is called endemic.
What it Looks Like
This shrub usually grows with a single main stem. It can reach about 2.5 meters (8 feet) tall. It has smooth, grey bark and branches that spread out. When new shoots grow, they have bright lemon-yellow hairs.
The small branches are mostly round, but get a bit flatter at the ends. They can have a few or many silver-colored hairs. At the base of the leaves, there are small leaf-like parts called stipules, which are about 4 to 5 millimeters long.
Like most Acacia species, the Mitchell Plateau wattle does not have true leaves. Instead, it has phyllodes. These are flattened leaf stalks that look and act like leaves. The phyllodes are thin but tough, and are grey-green in color. They can be shaped like a half-moon or slightly curved like a sickle. Each phyllode is about 9 to 15 centimeters long and 2.5 to 4.5 centimeters wide. They have many parallel lines, or nerves, running along them. Three to seven of these nerves are clearer than the others.
Where it Grows
The Mitchell Plateau wattle is found in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. It often grows in disturbed lateritic soils. These are reddish soils rich in iron and aluminum.
This wattle is known from only two places in the northern Kimberley. One place is the Mitchell Plateau, where it grows in lateritic soils. The other place is Laplace Island. On the island, it grows in basalt, which is a type of volcanic rock.
