Acacia caerulescens, commonly known as limestone blue wattle, Buchan blue or Buchan blue wattle is a tree species that is endemic to south eastern Australia.
| Limestone blue wattle | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Caesalpinioideae |
| Clade: | Mimosoid clade |
| Genus: | Acacia |
| Species: | A. caerulescens
|
| Binomial name | |
| Acacia caerulescens | |
| |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Racosperma caerulescens (Maslin & Court) Pedley | |
Description
editThe tree grows to between 10 and 15 m (33 and 49 ft) in height and has a pyramidal habit with glabrous branchlets that have a fine white powdery coating. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The evergreen phyllodes have an obovate to oblanceolate or sometimes narrowly elliptic shape with a length of 4 to 8 cm (1.6 to 3.1 in) and a width of 1.5 to 3 mm (0.059 to 0.118 in). The lemon yellow globular flowerheads appear in racemes from November to December in the species' native range, followed by seed pods that are 5 to 12 cm long and 1.4 to 2.2 cm wide.[3]
Taxonomy
editThe species was formally described in 1989 based on plant material collected near Buchan in Gippsland.[3][4]
Distribution
editIt has a limited distribution in Victoria where it is only found in the Lakes Entrance and Buchan areas. It is found as remnant populations mostly in clay soils over limestone as a part of Eucalyptus woodland communities. Its natural habitat is under threat of land clearing.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities. "Acacia caerulescens — Limestone Blue Wattle, Buchan Blue, Buchan Blue Wattle". Species Profile and Threats Database. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ^ "Acacia caerulescens ". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 28 January 2013.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c "Acacia caerulescens ". Flora of Australia Online. Department of the Environment and Heritage, Australian Government.
- ^ Carter, Oberon; Walsh, Neville (November 2006). "National Recovery Plan for Limestone Blue Wattle - Acacia caerulescens" (PDF). State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2013.