Robin's wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robin's wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
robiniae
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Robin's wattle, officially known as Acacia robiniae, is a special type of shrub. It's part of the Acacia family, which is famous for its many different kinds of wattle plants. This particular wattle is found only in the southwestern part of Australia. It's a small, interesting plant that adds to the unique nature of the Australian bush.
What Does Robin's Wattle Look Like?
This shrub usually grows to be about 0.3 to 0.7 meters (1 to 2.3 feet) tall. It grows in an open, spread-out way and has slightly hairy branches. It also has small, sharp, leaf-like parts called stipules that are 1.5 to 2.5 millimeters long.
Like most Acacia plants, Robin's wattle has phyllodes instead of true leaves. Phyllodes are flattened leaf stems that act like leaves. These phyllodes are smooth and stay green all year. They are shaped like a triangle or wedge, measuring 3 to 8 millimeters long and 3 to 8 millimeters wide. They have a main vein running along one side.
Robin's wattle blooms from April to September, showing off white or cream-colored flowers. The flowers grow alone in round clusters, with each cluster having two white or off-white flowers. After the flowers, flat, tough seed pods form. These pods are narrow and oblong, slightly curved, and can be up to 6 centimeters long and 3 to 4 millimeters wide. They have thick edges and are smooth. Inside, the seeds are glossy dark brown, oblong, and about 2.5 to 3 millimeters long. Each seed has a small, fleshy growth called an aril at one end.
How Scientists Name Robin's Wattle
The plant expert Bruce Maslin was the first to officially describe Robin's wattle. He wrote about it in a scientific paper called Studies in the genus Acacia - A revision of the Uninerves - Triangulares, in part (the tetramerous species). This paper was published in the journal Nuytsia.
Later, in 2003, another botanist named Leslie Pedley reclassified it as Racosperma robiniae. However, in 2006, it was moved back to the Acacia group. Robin's wattle belongs to a group of plants called the Acacia biflora group. It looks very similar to another plant called Acacia divergens.
Where Does Robin's Wattle Grow?
Robin's wattle is found in different, separate areas in the Great Southern and Goldfields-Esperance regions of Western Australia. You can often find it in wet places, among large granite rocks, or on sandy or loamy soils that cover granite or laterite. Laterite is a type of soil rich in iron and aluminum.
This wattle often grows in Eucalyptus marginata woodlands, which are forests mainly made up of Jarrah trees. It grows from the east of Albany to near Mount Manypeaks. Another group of these plants is found much further east, around Mount Arid.
