Slender nerved acacia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Slender nerved acacia |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
leptoneura
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The slender nerved acacia (Acacia leptoneura) is a special kind of shrub. It belongs to the large Acacia plant family. This plant is only found in a small area of Western Australia. It is a very rare plant.
What the Slender Nerved Acacia Looks Like
This shrub has thin branches that are round. These branches are covered in short, stiff hairs. It also has small leaf-like parts called stipules that stay on the plant for a while.
Instead of regular leaves, the slender nerved acacia has phyllodes. Most Acacia plants have these. Phyllodes are like flattened leaf stems that do the job of leaves. These phyllodes are tough and stay green all year. They can be from 3 to 7.5 centimeters long. They are about 1 millimeter wide. Each phyllode has 16 thin lines, or "nerves," that are very close together.
Its Plant Family and Name
The slender nerved acacia was first described in 1842. A botanist named George Bentham gave it its scientific name. Botanists are scientists who study plants.
For a short time, its name was changed to Racosperma leptoneurum. This happened in 2003. But by 2006, it was put back into the Acacia group. This shows how scientists sometimes change plant names as they learn more.
This plant looks a lot like another acacia, Acacia subflexuosa. However, the slender nerved acacia has twice as many nerves on its phyllodes. This helps scientists tell them apart.
Where the Slender Nerved Acacia Grows
The slender nerved acacia is very rare. It grows in only a few spots in the Wheatbelt area of Western Australia. You can find it in a small area near the town of Dowerin.
There are two main groups of these plants. One group grows on a small hill. It grows in sandy soil mixed with clay, over a type of rock called laterite. This area is mostly cleared land. Other plants like Hakea scoparia and Santalum acuminatum grow nearby.
The second group also grows in sandy-loamy soil. This soil is on top of a low ridge made of laterite. Here, it grows with other plants. These include Allocasuarina acutivalvis, Allocasuarina campestris, and Melaleuca coronicarpa.
