Sticky leaved wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sticky leaved wattle |
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| L1924464 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
ixiophylla
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Acacia ixiophylla, also known as the sticky leaved wattle, is a type of shrub. It belongs to the Acacia plant family. This plant is special because it grows naturally only in certain coastal parts of eastern Australia.
What the Sticky Leaved Wattle Looks Like
This shrub usually grows to be about 1 to 4 meters tall, which is like a small tree. It spreads out as it grows. Its small branches are often hairy and a bit sticky.
Like most Acacia plants, the sticky leaved wattle has special leaf-like parts called phyllodes. These are not true leaves. The phyllodes are tough and stay green all year round. They can be a little bit hairy or quite hairy. They are long and narrow, shaped like a rectangle with rounded ends. Each phyllode is about 2 to 4.5 centimeters long and 2 to 10 millimeters wide. They have three to seven main lines or "nerves" that stand out.
The plant blooms between August and October. Its flowers grow in small groups of two or three. These groups form round flower-heads, which are like little balls. Each flower-head is about 4 to 8 millimeters across and has 20 to 35 yellow to deep yellow flowers.
Naming and History of the Sticky Leaved Wattle
The sticky leaved wattle was first officially described by a botanist named George Bentham in 1842. This description was part of a book by William Jackson Hooker called Notes on Mimoseae, with a synopsis of species. It was published in the London Journal of Botany.
Later, in 1987, another botanist named Leslie Pedley changed its name to Racosperma ixiophyllum. But then, in 2001, it was moved back to the Acacia family. Other old names for this plant include Acacia fuliginea and Acacia venulosa var. lanata.
The second part of its scientific name, ixiophylla, refers to how sticky its phyllodes are. The sticky leaved wattle looks a lot like another plant called Acacia montana.
Where the Sticky Leaved Wattle Grows
Most of these plants are found in the western plains and slopes of the Great Dividing Range. This area stretches from near Mount Wilson in New South Wales in the south, all the way up to around Miles in Queensland in the north.
Smaller groups of these plants can be found even further north, near places like Jericho and Alpha. Here, the sticky leaved wattle grows in gravelly and sandy soils. It is often found in woodlands alongside other trees like Casuarina, Eucalyptus, and Callitris.
