Acacia aristulata
| Watheroo wattle | |
|---|---|
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. aristulata
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| Binomial name | |
| Acacia aristulata | |
| |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
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Acacia aristulata, also known as Watheroo wattle,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a restricted area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with narrowly oblong to wedge-shaped phyllodes, spherical heads of creamy-white flowers, and coiled to twisted pods up to 60 mm (2.4 in) long.
Description
[edit]Acacia aristulata is an erect or scrambling shrub that typically grows up to 0.25–1 m (9.8 in – 3 ft 3.4 in) high and 1 m (3 ft 3 in) wide. Its branches are waxy and white. There are priminent stipules 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) long at the base of the phyllodes. The phyllodes are narrowly oblong to wedge-shaped with a hooked or beak-like tip, mostly 7–10 mm (0.28–0.39 in) long and 2.0–3.5 mm (0.079–0.138 in) wide with a central midrib. The flowers are creamy-white and born in spherical heads 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) in diameter, on a peduncle 10–20 mm (0.39–0.79 in) long, the heads with 13 to 17 flowers. Flowering has been recorded in September, November and December and the pods are leathery to thinly crust-like, coiled to irregularly twisted, and like a string of beads, up to 60 mm (2.4 in) long and 4–5 mm (0.16–0.20 in) wide, containing shiny brown seeds 3.5–4.0 mm (0.14–0.16 in) long.[2][3][4][5]
Taxonomy
[edit]Acacia aristulata was first formally described by the botanist Bruce Maslin in 1999 in the journal Nuytsia from specimens he collected 14 km (8.7 mi) north of Moora in 1986.[5][6] The specific epithet (aristulata) means 'having a drawn-out point or awn' referring to the bracteoles of this species.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]Watheroo wattle is restricted to low, chert hills where it grows in sand in low, open shrubland near Moora and in Watheroo National Park.[2][5]
Conservation status
[edit]Acacia aristulata is listed as "endangered" under the Australian Government Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999[2] and as "threatened" under the Western Australian Government Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Acacia aristulata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Acacia aristulata — Watheroo Wattle". Species Profile and Threats Database. Department of the Environment and Energy. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
- ^ "Acacia aristulata". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G.; Orchard, Anthony E. (eds.). "Acacia aristulata". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d Maslin, Bruce R. (1999). "Acacia miscellany 16. The taxonomy of fifty-five species of Acacia, primarily Western Australian, in section Phyllodineae (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae)". Nuytsia. 12 (3): 320–321. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Acacia aristulata". APNI. Retrieved 18 November 2024.
- ^ "Acacia aristulata". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.