Acacia aestivalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy shrub or tree with linear to narrowly lance-shaped phyllodes, the narrower end towards the base, racemes of 5 to 11 spherical heads of golden-yellow flowers, and glabrous, papery to thinly leathery pods.
| Acacia aestivalis | |
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| In the Australian National Botanic Gardens | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Acacia |
| Species: | A. aestivalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Acacia aestivalis | |
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Description
editAcacia aestivalis is a bushy shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of 2–4 m (6 ft 7 in – 13 ft 1 in) and has glabrous branchlets. Its phyllodes are linear to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, mostly 60–110 mm (2.4–4.3 in) long and 2.5–7 mm (0.098–0.276 in) wide, with 1 or 2 glands 10–35 mm (0.39–1.38 in) above the base of the phyllode. The flowers are arranged in racemes 10–50 mm (0.39–1.97 in) long, of 5 to 11 spherical heads, 3.5–4.0 mm (0.14–0.16 in) in diameter, each head on a hairy on a peduncle 2.5–5 mm (0.098–0.197 in) long. The heads contains 15 to 25 golden-yellow flowers. Flowering occurs from November to December and the pod is papery to thinly leathery, up to 170 mm (6.7 in) long and 10–22 mm (0.39–0.87 in) wide, containing dull dark brown, oblong seeds 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long with a brittle, reddish-brown aril on the end.[2][3]
Taxonomy
editAcacia aestivalis was first formally described in 1904 by the botanist Ernst Georg Pritzel in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie from specimens collected near Moora.[4][5]
The specific epithet, aestivalis, is derived from Latin and means "pertaining to the summer".[6]
Distribution
editThis species of wattle is endemic to an area in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia where it is frequently found along roadsides and on low-lying flats growing in clay, loamy or sandy soils.[7] It is commonly a part of mid-storey of Eucalyptus salmonophloia woodland communities but will also form dense stands in disturbed areas.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Acacia aestivalis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia aestivalis". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ a b "Acacia aestivalis". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ "Acacia aestivalis". APNI. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Pritzel, Ernst Georg (1904). Diels, Ludwig; Pritzel, Ernst Georg (eds.). "Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae occidentalis. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pflanzen Westaustraliens, ihrer Verbreitung und ihrer Lebensverhaltnisse". Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie. 35 (2–3): 300–302. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ^ Eggli, Urs; Newton, Leonard E. (2004). Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. p. 4. ISBN 978-3-540-00489-9. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- ^ "Acacia aestivalis". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.