Acacia ayersiana

Acacia ayersiana
Near Uluru
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Fabales
Family:	Fabaceae
Subfamily:	Caesalpinioideae
Clade:	Mimosoid clade
Genus:	Acacia
Species:	A. ayersiana
Binomial name
Acacia ayersiana Maconochie [1]
Synonyms [1]
List Acacia aneura var. ayersiana(Maconochie) Pedley Acacia aneura var. latifolia J.M.Black Acacia ayersianaMaconochie var. ayersiana Acacia ayersiana var. latifolia(J.M.Black) Randell Racosperma ayersianum(Maconochie) Pedley

Habit in Alice Springs

Pods

Acacia ayersiana, commonly known as Ayers Rock mulga, broad-leaf mulga, Uluru mulga, ^[2] or blue mulga, ^[3] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to arid areas of inland Australia. It is a rounded or conical shrub with the narrower end towards the base or a singe-stemmed tree, its phyllodes narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, the flowers yellow and arranged in cylindrical spikes, and papery pods up to 40 mm (1.6 in) long on a short stalk.

Description

Acacia ayersiana grows as a rounded or conical, many-stemmed shrub 3–6 m (9.8–19.7 ft) high and wide, sometimes as a single-stemmed tree 7–12 m (23–39 ft) high. Its branchlets are covered with soft hairs pressed against the surface between red-brown ribs. Its phyllodes are narrowly elliptic to lance-shaped, mostly 50–80 mm (2.0–3.1 in) long and 7–12 mm (0.28–0.47 in) wide. The flowers are borne in spikes 15–35 mm (0.59–1.38 in) long on a peduncle 3–6 mm (0.12–0.24 in) long. Flowering has been recorded in February and from April to June, and the pods are oblong on a short stalk, 10–40 mm (0.39–1.57 in) long and 10–14 mm (0.39–0.55 in) wide and papery. The seeds are oblong, 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) long and 2.5–3.0 mm (0.098–0.118 in) wide with a small white aril. ^{[2] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

Taxonomy

Acacia ayersiana was first formally published in 1978 by John Maconochie, based on specimens he collected at Ayers Rock in 1973. ^{[5] [8]} The specific epithet (ayersiana) refers to Ayers Rock (Uluru) where the type specimen was collected. ^[2]

Distribution and habitat

Uluru mulga grows in low-lying areas and along creeks and swales and is widely distributed throughout arid and semi-arid parts of Australia, occurring in Western Australia, ^[7] South Australia, ^[3] and southern parts of the Northern Territory. ^[6]

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

1. "Acacia ayersiana". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
2. Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia ayersiana". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
3. "Acacia ayersiana (Leguminosae) Blue Mulga". Seeds of South Australia. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
4. "Acacia ayersiana". World Wide Wattle. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
5. Maconochie, John Richard (1978). "Notes on the genus Acacia in the Northern Territory". Journal of the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. 1 (3): 182–183. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
6. "Acacia ayersiana". Northern Territory Government. Retrieved 1 March 2025.
7. "Acacia ayersiana Maconochie". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
8. "Acacia ayersiana". APNI. Retrieved 1 March 2025.