Townsville wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Townsville wattle |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
leptostachya
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| Acacia leptostachya occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium | |
Acacia leptostachya, also known as the Townsville wattle or slender wattle, is a type of shrub or small tree. It belongs to a large group of plants called Acacia and is found naturally in northeastern Australia. This plant is known for its unique "leaves" and pretty golden flowers.
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What the Townsville Wattle Looks Like
This shrub or tree usually grows to be about 0.5 to 6 meters tall. That's like a small car to a tall two-story building! Its young branches are a bit hairy and have ridges. They also have a sticky, tree sap-like substance called resin.
Like many Acacia plants, the Townsville wattle doesn't have regular leaves. Instead, it has special flattened stems called phyllodes. These phyllodes act like leaves. They are always green and have a silvery look because of tiny hairs. They are shaped like a narrow oval or a spear, and can be straight or slightly curved.
Each phyllode is about 4 to 9 centimeters long and 2 to 12 millimeters wide. They have many thin lines, or veins, with two or three lines that are easier to see.
When the plant flowers, it grows flower spikes that look like cylinders. These spikes are about 2 to 4 centimeters long and are packed with bright golden flowers. After the flowers bloom, flat, smooth seed pods grow. These pods are about 6 centimeters long and 2 to 9 millimeters wide. Inside, you'll find shiny brown seeds. Each seed is about 2.7 to 4 millimeters long and has a small, fleshy part called an aril.
How the Townsville Wattle Got Its Name
The Townsville wattle was first officially described by a botanist named George Bentham in 1864. A botanist is a scientist who studies plants. Later, another botanist, Leslie Pedley, changed its scientific name in 1987. But in 2001, it was changed back to Acacia leptostachya.
The second part of its scientific name, leptostachya, comes from two old Greek words. Lepto means "slender" and stachys means "ear of corn." This name describes the slender, corn-like shape of its flower spikes.
Where the Townsville Wattle Grows
This plant is only found in certain parts of central-eastern Queensland, Australia. When a plant or animal is only found in one specific area, it's called endemic to that place.
You can find the Townsville wattle from a town called Coen in the north, all the way down to Maryborough and south of Charleville. It grows in different kinds of places. It likes deep sandy soil or rocky soil that sits on top of granite or sandstone rocks. It often grows in forests with Eucalyptus trees or in grasslands where a spiky grass called Triodia grows.
How to Grow Townsville Wattle
If you want to grow a Townsville wattle, it does best in a sunny spot. It also needs soil that drains water well, so it doesn't get too wet.
You can grow new plants from seeds. Before planting, the seeds need a special treatment. You can gently scratch the seed coat (this is called scarifying) or soak them in boiling water. This helps the seeds sprout and grow into new plants.
