Acacia alata

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Acacia alata
Acacia alata.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Acacia
Species:
A. alata
Binomial name
Acacia alata
Acacia alataDistMap24.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Habit Acacia alata - Jardin Botanico de Barcelona - Barcelona, Spain - DSC08966.JPG
Habit
Foliage Acacia alata 1.jpg
Foliage


Acacia alata, commonly known as winged wattle, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a much-branched shrub, its phyllodes continuous with the branches and arranged on either side of them, flowers arranged in racemes of 2 spherical heads of white to golden-yellow flowers, and flat, curved, crusty pods 20–80 mm (0.79–3.15 in) long.

Contents

Description

Acacia alata is a much-branched shrub, typically growing to a height of 0.3–2.1 m (1 ft 0 in – 6 ft 11 in) with zig-zag branches. The phyllodes are continuous with the braches and are arranged on either side of them, 2–20 mm (0.079–0.787 in) wide, but narrowest in the flower-bearing regions. The free ends of the phyllodes are 5–70 mm (0.20–2.76 in) long, sometimes with a spiny tip. There are 1 to 3 prominent glands on a triangular spur. There are 1 or 2 spherical heads of flowers in axils on a peduncle 4–12 mm (0.16–0.47 in) long, the heads with 4 to 15 white to golden-coloured flowers. Flowering time varies with variety, and the fruit is a flat, curved pod, 20–80 mm (0.79–3.15 in) long and 5–11 mm (0.20–0.43 in) wide, crust-like and densely hairy containing oblong to elliptic seeds 2.5–4.5 mm (0.098–0.177 in) long with an aril on the end. [3] [4]

Taxonomy

Acacia alata was first formally described by Robert Brown in William Aiton's Hortus Kewensis . [5] [6] The specific epithet (alata) means "winged". [7]

The names of four varieties of A. alata are accepted by the Australian Plant Census:

Distribution and habitat

Acacia alata grows in a variety of soils near water, rocky hills, breakaways, slat pans and clay flats between Port Gregory and Albany in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Jarrah Forest, Swan Coastal Plain and Warren bioregions of south-western Western Australia. [3] [2]

Variety alata often grows near creeks in forest and woodland and has a discontinous distribution, between Perth, Collie, Cape Naturaliste and Manjimup, between Denmark and Albany, with an outlier near Three Springs. [9] [10]

Variety biglandulosa grows in loam and sand, usually in heath, between Port Gregory and Mount Michael about 35 km (22 mi) south-east of Geraldton. [12] [17]

Variety platyptera grows in clay, loam or gravel in gullies, hills and flats near Mogumber, [14] [18] and var. tetrantha usually grows near watercourses in low, open forest and woodland between Eneabba and Cervantes with a disjunct population at Yanchep. [16] [19]

Conservation status

Acacia alata and three of its varieties are list as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, [2] [10] [17] [19] but var. platyptera is listed as "Priority Four" [18] meaning that it is rare or near threatened. [20]

Use in horticulture

This plant tolerates frosts to −7 °C (19 °F). [21]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acacia acanthoclada</i> Species of plant

Acacia acanthoclada, commonly known as harrow wattle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to southern continental Australia. It is a low, highly branched, spreading and spiny shrub with wedge-shaped to triangular or egg-shaped phyllodes with the narrower end towards the base, and spherical heads of up to 30 flowers, and linear, spirally-coiled pods.

<i>Acacia adoxa</i> Species of legume

Acacia adoxa, commonly known as the grey-whorled wattle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to north-western Australia. It is a dense, low-lying shrub with linear, more or less cylindrical phyllodes in whorls of 6 to 10, heads of golden-yellow flowers, and flat, sticky pods.

<i>Acacia hakeoides</i> Species of plant

Acacia hakeoides, known colloquially as hakea wattle, hakea-leaved wattle or western black wattle, is a species of flowering plant endemic to southern Australia. It is a bushy shrub or tree with lance-shaped to linear phyllodes, racemes of bright golden-yellow flowers and more or less leathery to leathery to hard and brittle pods. It can be found growing in sandy soils in semiarid and Eucalyptus woodland in the region.

<i>Acacia aemula</i> Species of legume

Acacia aemula is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south coast of Western Australia. It is an openly-branched, often prostrate, rush-like subshrub with cylindrical to more or less flat and linear phyllodes similar to its branchlets, spherical heads of cream-coloured or golden-yellow flowers and reddish-brown, thin, paper-like or crusty pods.

<i>Acacia applanata</i> Species of legume

Acacia applanata, also known as golden grass wattle or grass wattle, is a grasslike shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and subgenus Alatae. It is native to the south west of Western Australia.

<i>Acacia adsurgens</i> Species of legume

Acacia adsurgens, commonly known as whipstick wattle or sugar brother, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to northern areas of Australia. It is a spreading shrub with many stems, flat, linear phyllodes, densely-flowered spikes of yellow flowers, and linear, paper-like or crusty pods.

<i>Acacia ampliata</i> Species of legume

Acacia ampliata 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 or small tree with hairy branchlets, linear phyllodes, golden-coloured flowers arranged in oblong to short-cylindrical heads, and linear pods up to 110 mm (4.3 in) long.

<i>Acacia aptaneura</i> Species of plant

Acacia aptaneura, commonly known as slender mulga, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae. It is native to central and western parts of Australia.

<i>Acacia acanthaster</i> Species of legume

Acacia acanthaster is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a rigid, densely-branched, domed shrub with flat, linear phyllodes, spherical heads of golden-yellow flowers, and curved pods that resemble a string of beads.

<i>Acacia acoma</i> Species of legume

Acacia acoma is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to inland ares of south-western Western Australia. It is an erect, spindly, open or spreading shrub with variably-shaped, often narrowly oblong phyllodes, flowers arranged in spherical heads, usually arranged in pairs in leaf axils, and strongly curved or spirally coiled pods up to 15 mm (0.59 in) long when expanded.

<i>Acacia aculeiformis</i> Species of legume

Acacia aculeiformis is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is prostrate, scrambling, mat-forming shrub with asymmetrical elliptic to narrowly elliptic phyllodes, and spherical heads of light to medium golden-yellow or yellowish-red flowers.

<i>Acacia adinophylla</i> Species of legume

Acacia adinophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate to erect, scrambling shrub with cylindrical branchlets, narrowly wedge-shaped to lance-shaped phyllodes, flowers arranged in up to 4 spherical heads of dull golden yellow flowers, and paper-like pods.

<i>Acacia aestivalis</i> Species of legume

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.

<i>Acacia alexandri</i> Species of legume

Acacia alexandri is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the Cape Range in the north-west of Western Australia. It is a glabrous shrub with slender branchlets, linear phyllodes, and cream-coloured flowers arranged in 1 or 2 spherical heads in the axils of phyllodes, and narrowly oblong, papery pods up to 70 mm (2.8 in) long.

<i>Acacia amblygona</i> Species of legume

Acacia amblygona, commonly known as fan wattle or fan leaf wattle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to continental Australia. It is a sprawling, sometimes prostrate shrub with sharply-pointed, lance-shaped, tapering phyllodes, golden-yellow flowers arranged in a spherical head of 10 to 18 in the axils of phyllodes, and curved, coiled or twisted pods up to 70 mm (2.8 in) long.

<i>Acacia amblyophylla</i> Species of legume

Acacia amblyophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to an area near Shark Bay in the north-west of Western Australia. It is a bushy shrub or tree with a dense crown, many suckers, lance-shaped phyllodes with the narrower end towards the base, golden-coloured flowers arranged in spherical heads each of 24 to 26, and broadly linear to narrowly oblong pods up to 200 mm (7.9 in) long.

<i>Acacia adenogonia</i> Species of legume

Acacia adenogonia is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to northern Western Australia. It is a prickly, erect to sprawling shrub with cylindrical branchlets, egg-shaped to lance-shaped phyllodes, flowers arranged in spherical heads of golden yellow flowers, and thin leathery pods that are constricted between the seeds.

Acacia adnata is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub with sessile, oblong, sharply pointed phyllodes, and leathery, linear pods. The flowers are unknown.

<i>Acacia macnuttiana</i> Species of legume

Acacia macnuttiana, commonly known as McNutt's wattle, is a flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to north-eastern New South Wales. It is a shrub with linear phyllodes, spherical heads of bright yellow flowers arranged in racemes in leaf axils and seeds usually in more or less straight, leathery pods.

Acacia adjutrices, commonly known as convivial wattle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a few places in the south-west of Western Australia. It is a small, multi-stemmed shrub with thin stems, mostly linear, ascending to erect phyllodes, flowers arranged in up to 4 spherical heads of golden yellow flowers, and crust-like, linear to narrowly oblong pods.

References

  1. ↑ "Acacia aestivalis". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Acacia alata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia alata". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  4. ↑ "Acacia alata". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium . Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  5. ↑ "Acacia alata". APNI. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  6. ↑ Brown, Robert (1813). Aiton, William (ed.). Hortus Kewensis (second ed.). London: Longman, Hurst, Orme and Brown. p. 464. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  7. ↑ Sharr, Francis Aubi; George, Alex (2019). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings (3rd ed.). Kardinya, WA: Four Gables Press. p. 129. ISBN   9780958034180.
  8. ↑ "Acacia alata var. alata". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  9. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia alata var. alata". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 "Acacia alata var. alata". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  11. ↑ "Acacia alata var. biglandulosa". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  12. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia alata var. biglandulosa". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "Acacia alata var. platyptera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  14. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia alata var. platyptera". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "Acacia alata var. tetrantha". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  16. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia alata var. tetrantha". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  17. 1 2 "Acacia alata var. biglandulosa". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  18. 1 2 "Acacia alata var. platyptera". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  19. 1 2 "Acacia alata var. platyptera". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  20. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
  21. ↑ "Australian National Botanic Gardens - Growing Acacia". anbg.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2016-04-14. Retrieved 2016-06-06.
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