Wombargo wattle facts for kids

Acacia tabula, also known as Wombargo wattle, is a special type of plant found only in a small part of northeastern Victoria, Australia. When a plant or animal is found only in one specific area, we say it is endemic to that place. This wattle is part of the Acacia family, which is well-known for its beautiful flowers and unique leaves.

What Does Wombargo Wattle Look Like?

The Wombargo wattle is a small shrub. It usually grows to be about 0.4 to 0.6 meters (about 1.3 to 2 feet) tall. Its branches are smooth, meaning they are glabrous and do not have any hairs.

Like most Acacia plants, it has special leaf-like structures called phyllodes instead of true leaves. These phyllodes are smooth and thin. They are shaped like a narrow rectangle or oval, but they are slightly uneven on each side.

The phyllodes are evergreen, meaning they stay green all year. They are usually 6 to 14 millimeters long and 1 to 3.5 millimeters wide. You might find it hard to see the main vein and side veins on them.

This wattle flowers between August and October. It produces flower clusters called racemose inflorescences. These clusters have small, round flower-heads. Each flower-head is about 2 to 2.5 millimeters across. They contain five to eight bright golden-colored flowers.

Where Does Wombargo Wattle Grow?

The Wombargo wattle grows in a very small area. You can find it from Splitters Creek to the south of Wulgulmerang in Victoria. It usually grows in open, dry forest areas. The soil there is often shallow and comes from old sediments.

This plant is often found growing near other types of wattle. These include Acacia infecunda and Acacia nanopravissima. The Wombargo wattle is only found in a small group of plants. These plants live in the upper part of the Little River area. This river flows into the Snowy River on the Wombargo Range. The plants grow in small, separate patches that are quite close to each other.