Rice's wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rice's wattle |
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| Picture of Acacia riceana | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
riceana
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| Where Rice's Wattle grows (data from AVH) | |
The Acacia riceana, also known as Rice's wattle, is a small, fast-growing plant. It can be a shrub or a small tree. This plant stays green all year round. It belongs to the legume family, which includes peas and beans. You can only find Rice's wattle in the southeastern part of Tasmania, an island state of Australia.
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About Rice's Wattle Plants
Rice's wattle often grows into a thick, spiky bush. In very wet areas, it can reach up to 5 meters (about 16 feet) tall. This plant is special because its leaves, called phyllodes, are narrow and pointed. They are usually grouped together in bunches of 3 to 6.
What Rice's Wattle Looks Like
Rice's wattle has lots of leaves and branches that hang down. It looks quite similar to another plant called Acacia derwentiana. However, Acacia derwentiana has even narrower leaves. Rice's wattle flowers can appear anytime from July to January. Its seed pods, which hold the seeds, become ready in January and February.
How Rice's Wattle Got Its Name
An English plant expert named John Stevens Henslow first described Rice's wattle in 1839. He studied a plant that grew in the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. The seeds for this plant came all the way from Tasmania.
Why It's Called Rice's Wattle
The plant still has its original name, Acacia riceana. It was named to honor Thomas Spring Rice. At the time, he held an important job as the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This meant he was in charge of the government's money in the United Kingdom. Rice's wattle is related to another plant called Acacia axillaris. But Acacia axillaris has branches that stand up straight, unlike the hanging branches of Rice's wattle.
Where Rice's Wattle Lives
Rice's wattle is found only in the southeastern part of Tasmania. This means it is an endemic species. It grows from sea level up to about 900 meters (3,000 feet) high.
Main Areas Where It Grows
Most of the Rice's wattle plants are found around the Derwent, Huon, and Prosser River Valleys. You can also find smaller groups of these plants on the slopes of the Ironbound Range in the far south of Tasmania. It grows very thickly on the hills overlooking the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, from Southport to Margate.
Other Places It Can Be Found
Some groups of Rice's wattle also grow on the Tasman\Forester Peninsula and South Bruny Island. The most distant group of these plants is located on Maria Island.
