Acacia aestivalis explained

Acacia aestivalis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy shrub or tree with linear to narrowly lance-shaped phyllodes, the narrower end towards the base, racemes of 5 to 11 spherical heads of golden-yellow flowers, and glabrous, papery to thinly leathery pods.

Description

Acacia aestivalis is a bushy shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of and has glabrous branchlets. Its phyllodes are linear to lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, mostly long and wide, with 1 or 2 glands above the base of the phyllode. The flowers are arranged in racemes long, of 5 to 11 spherical heads, in diameter, each head on a hairy on a peduncle long. The heads contains 15 to 25 golden-yellow flowers. Flowering occurs from November to December and the pod is papery to thinly leathery, up to long and wide, containing dull dark brown, oblong seeds long with a brittle, reddish-brown aril on the end.[1] [2]

Taxonomy

Acacia aestivalis was first formally described in 1904 by the botanist Ernst Georg Pritzel in Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie from specimens collected near Moora.[3] [4]

The specific epithet, aestivalis, is derived from Latin and means "pertaining to the summer".[5]

Distribution

This species of wattle is endemic to an area in the Avon Wheatbelt, Coolgardie, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia where it is frequently found along roadsides and on low-lying flats growing in clay, loamy or sandy soils. It is commonly a part of mid-storey of Eucalyptus salmonophloia woodland communities but will also form dense stands in disturbed areas.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maslin . Bruce R. . Kodela . Phillip G. . Acacia aestivalis . Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. . 24 May 2024.
  2. Web site: Acacia aestivalis. 24 May 2024. World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium.
  3. Web site: Acacia aestivalis . APNI. 24 May 2024.
  4. Pritzel . Ernst Georg . Diels . Ludwig . Pritzel . Ernst Georg . Fragmenta Phytographiae Australiae occidentalis. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pflanzen Westaustraliens, ihrer Verbreitung und ihrer Lebensverhaltnisse. . Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik, Pflanzengeschichte und Pflanzengeographie . 1904 . 35 . 2–3 . 300–302 . 24 May 2024.
  5. Book: Eggli, Urs . Newton . Leonard E. . Etymological Dictionary of Succulent Plant Names . Springer . Berlin, Heidelberg . 2004 . 978-3-540-00489-9 . 12 November 2018 . 4.