Acacia sphenophylla is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to a small area in western Australia.
| Acacia sphenophylla | |
|---|---|
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. sphenophylla
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| Binomial name | |
| Acacia sphenophylla | |
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Description
editThe spreading, intricate pungent shrub typically grows to a height of 0.3 to 1.3 metres (1.0 to 4.3 ft).[1] It has coarsely or sharply pungent branchlets that can be glabrous or quite hairy and covered with a fine white powder at the extremities. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The ascending to erect and pungent phyllodes have an inequilateral wedge-shaped to obtriangular shape. The greaan and glabrous or sparsely haired phyllodes are 3 to 11 mm (0.12 to 0.43 in) in length and 1.5 to 5 mm (0.059 to 0.197 in) wide.[2] It blooms from July to August and produces yellow flowers.[1] The rudimentary inflorescences occur on single headed racemes along an axis that is less than 0.5 mm (0.020 in) long. The spherical to obloid shaped flower-heads contain 15 to 30 golden coloured flowers. Following flowering blacking coloured firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous-crustaceous seed pods form that resemble a string of beads. The coiled pods contain elliptic shaped seeds with a length of around 2 mm (0.079 in).[2]
Taxonomy
editThe species was first formally described by the botanist Bruce Maslin in 1999 as part of the work Acacia miscellany. The taxonomy of fifty-five species of Acacia, primarily Western Australian, in section Phyllodineae (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) as published in the journal Nuytsia. It was reclassified as Racosperma sphenophyllum by Leslie Pedley in 2003 then transferred back to genus Acacia in 2006.[3] It resembles and can be confused with Acacia acanthoclada subsp. glaucescens and is also similar to Acacia pravifolia.[2]
Distribution
editIt is native to an area in the Mid West region of Western Australia where it is often situated on low rises and sandplains growing in sandy or sandy-loam soils.[1] The range of the plant extends from around Geraldton in the south to about 50 km (31 mi) north of the Murchison River where it is usually a part of mixed open scrub, tall shrubland or open heathland communities.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Acacia sphenophylla". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
- ^ a b c d "Acacia sphenophylla Maslin". Wattle - Acacias of Australia. Lucid Central. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
- ^ "Acacia sphenophylla Maslin". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 6 September 2020.