Acacia buxifolia, commonly known as box-leaf wattle, is shrub species that is endemic to eastern Australia.[2]

Box-leaf wattle
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Acacia
Species:
A. buxifolia
Binomial name
Acacia buxifolia
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms

Racosperma buxifolium (A.Cunn.) Pedley

Habit

Description

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The medium sized evergreen shrub grows to a height of 1 to 4 m (3 ft 3 in to 13 ft 1 in) and a width of 2 to 3 m (6 ft 7 in to 9 ft 10 in) .[3] The plant has an erect habit with glabrous, flattened and angled branchlets. It has phyllodes that are 10 to 45 mm (0.39 to 1.77 in) in length and 2 to 11 mm (0.079 to 0.433 in) wide. The bright yellow spherical flowerheads appear in groups of 2 to 14 in the axils of the phyllodes from July to November in the species' native range, followed by straight or curved seed pods which are 30 to 70 mm (1.2 to 2.8 in) long and 5 to 8 mm (0.20 to 0.31 in).[2]

Taxonomy

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The species was first formally described by the botanist Allan Cunningham in 1825 as part of the work On the Botany of the Blue Mountains. Geographical Memoirs on New South Wales. It was reclassified as Racosperma buxifolium in 1987 by Leslie Pedley and transferred back to genus Acacia in 2006.[4] Two subspecies are known;

  • Acacia buxifolia subsp. buxifolia
  • Acacia buxifolia subsp. pubiflora.[2]

Distribution

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The species occurs in dry sclerophyll forest, woodland or heath in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.[2] It is typically found on hills, slopes and plains inland from the coast and grows in sandy, clay or loam soils.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Acacia buxifolia". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 17 August 2009.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c d "Acacia buxifolia". PlantNET - New South Wales Flora Online. Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney Australia. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Acacia buxifolia Box-leaf Wattle". Plant Selector. Botanic Gardens of South Australia. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Acacia buxifolia A.Cunn". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 25 July 2019.