Story's wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Story's wattle |
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| Conservation status | |
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Near Threatened (NCA)
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
storyi
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia storyi, also known as Story's wattle, is a type of Acacia plant. It belongs to a group of wattles called Botrycephalae. This plant grows naturally in eastern Australia. It is considered near threatened in Queensland, which means it needs protection to make sure it doesn't become endangered. This protection is under the Nature Conservation Act 1992 of Queensland.
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What Does Story's Wattle Look Like?
This plant can be a large shrub or a small tree. It usually grows up to 6 metres (20 ft) tall. It has smooth, grey-green bark and branches that are a purplish-red color.
Its leaves are dark green and feel a bit leathery. Each leaf has a main stem, called a rachis, which is about 4 to 11 cm (1.6 to 4.3 in) long. Along this stem, there are 8 to 18 pairs of smaller leaf branches, called pinnae, each about 2 to 6 cm (0.79 to 2.36 in) long. On each of these smaller branches, you'll find 26 to 92 tiny leaflets, called pinnules. These pinnules are shaped like small rectangles or blades, measuring 1.5 to 4 mm (0.059 to 0.157 in) long and 0.4 to 0.6 mm (0.016 to 0.024 in) wide.
Story's wattle blooms with yellow flowers between April and August. The flowers grow in round clusters, like little balls. Each flower cluster has 14 to 20 cream or pale yellow flowers.
After flowering, the plant forms seed pods from August to December. These pods are tough and can be dark red-brown or blue-black. They are mostly straight but can have slight pinches between the seeds. The pods are smooth and often covered in a powdery white coating. They can be 2.5 to 11 cm (0.98 to 4.33 in) long and 8 to 12 mm (0.31 to 0.47 in) wide. Inside, the seeds are about 6 mm (0.24 in) long and 3.5 mm (0.14 in) wide.
Story's wattle is quite similar to two other wattle species: Acacia filicifolia and Acacia olsenii.
How Story's Wattle Got Its Name
The Story's wattle was first officially named in 1966 by a botanist named Mary Tindale. She described it in a scientific paper called New taxa of Acacia from Eastern Australia.
Later, in 1987, another botanist, Leslie Pedley, reclassified it as Racosperma storyi. However, in 2001, it was moved back into the Acacia group.
The very first sample of this plant, called the type specimen, was collected in 1961. It was found by M. Lazarides and R. Story near Rockland Spring, southeast of Blackwater. The plant's scientific name, storyi, honors R. Story, one of the people who collected this first sample.
Where Does Story's Wattle Grow?
Story's wattle only grows in one specific area: the Central Highlands Region of Queensland, Australia. It has a limited range, mainly found on the Blackdown Tableland and the lower plains to its west.
It prefers to grow on sandstone plateaus. You can often find it in open forests alongside other wattle species like Acacia gittinsii and Acacia hendersonii.
Most of the Story's wattle plants live inside the Blackdown Tableland National Park. There are also three smaller groups of these plants. These are located near Rockland Spring, along the upper part of Davy Creek, and northeast of Woorabinda. Other trees and grasses that often grow with Story's wattle include Eucalyptus tereticornis, Eucalyptus cloeziana, and different types of Aristida grasses.
Images for kids
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A Story's wattle plant in its natural habitat.
