Acacia loroloba, commonly known as the Ma Ma Creek wattle,[1] is a species of Acacia native to eastern Australia.

Ma Ma Creek 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. loroloba
Binomial name
Acacia loroloba
Occurrence data from AVH

Description

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The tree typically grows to a height of 9 metres (30 ft). The red or green bark is smooth and will turn grey or brown with age.[2] It has dark brown, black to dark blue coloured glabrous branchlets that are prominently ridged when immature. The tips of the young foliage have a pale yellow or golden colour and are velvety hairs. The drak green and coriaceous leaves are supported on a 0.5 to 1.6 cm (0.20 to 0.63 in) long stalk. Each rachis has a length of 3.5 to 8 cm (1.4 to 3.1 in) with 10 to 18 pairs of pinnae that are 1 to 3.5 cm (0.39 to 1.38 in) in length and are composed of 14 to 49 pairs of pinnules that have a narrowly oblong shape and a length of 1 to 3 mm (0.039 to 0.118 in) and a width if 0.5 to 0.8 mm (0.020 to 0.031 in). It mostly blooms between December and March but sometime blooms between July and August usually following rains. It forms simple inflorescences mostly found in the axillary racemes. The spherical flower-heads contain 19 to 23 pale yellow flowers. Following flowering from around August to November, coriaceous brown to black coloured seed pods form that have more or less straight-sides and are 6 to 14 cm (2.4 to 5.5 in) in length and 6 to 9 mm (0.24 to 0.35 in) wide.[2]

Distribution

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A. loroloba is endemic to south eastern Queensland and is often situated in the north eastern Darling Downs region from around Haden and Jandowae in the west to Toowoomba in the east and as far north as Durong. It is found in undulating areas on alluvial flats and fertile plains growing in clay or sandy loam soils usually as a part of open forest or woodland communities.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Ma Ma Creek wattle – Acacia loroloba". Wetlandinfo. Queensland Government. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  2. ^ a b c "Acacia loroloba Tindale, Contr. New South Wales Natl. Herb . 4: 137 (1970)". World Wide Wattle. 12 July 2016. Retrieved 16 September 2016.