Acacia binervia

Coast myall
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. binervia
Binomial name
Acacia binervia (J.C.Wendl.) J.F.Macbr. [1]
Occurrence data from AVH

Habit

Acacia binervia commonly known as the coast myall, ^[2] is a flowering tree in the family Fabaceae and grows in New South Wales and Victoria. It has yellow rod shaped flowers and blue-greyish hairy phyllodes.

Description

Acacia binervia is a shrub or small tree up to 16 m (52 ft) high and the bark is dark brown to grey, flaky and furrowed. The phyllodes are elliptic to sickle-shaped, 6–15 cm (2.4–5.9 in) long, 0.5–2.3 cm (0.2–0.9 in) wide, branchlets flattened or angled at the end, prominently veined and usually covered thickly with whitish grey, flattened hairs. The yellow rod-shaped flowers are borne singly or several per axil, 2–6 cm (0.79–2.36 in) long, and the peduncle up to 5 mm (0.20 in) long. Flowering occurs in spring and the fruit is a narrow to linear pod, 5–8 cm (2.0–3.1 in) long and 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) wide. This plant is reportedly toxic to livestock as the foliage phyllodes contain a glucoside which can produce hydrogen cyanide if cut. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Taxonomy

In 1978 German botanist Johann Christoph Wendland first described this species as Mimosa binervia. In 1919 James Francis Macbride changed the name to Acacia binervia and the description was published in Contributions of the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University . ^{[5] [6] [7]}

Distribution and habitat

Coast myall is found in central New South Wales from the Hunter Region south, and to Bungonia in the southwest, and continuing south into Victoria. In the Sydney basin, it grows on a variety of soils and associated plant communities—alluvial soils, sandstone-, shale- or trachyte-based soils, generally with good drainage. It grows in dry sclerophyll forest, associated with such species as yellow bloodwood ( Corymbia eximia ), grey gum ( Eucalyptus punctata ), narrow-leaved ironbark ( E. crebra ), mugga ironbark ( E. sideroxylon ), or more open woodland with narrow-leaved ironbark and black cypress pine ( Callitris endlicheri ), and riparian (riverbank) forest with river peppermint ( E. elata ) and gossamer wattle ( Acacia floribunda ). ^{[2] [3]}

Ecology

Acacia binervia regenerates from bushfire by a soil-borne seedbank, the seeds germinate and grow after fire while adult plants are killed. The frequency of fire for the cycle to persist is anywhere from 10 to 50 years. It is useful to bees in the honey industry. ^[3]

Cultural significance

For the Dharawal people, the flowering of Acacia binervia was used as a seasonal indicator of the presence of fish in bays and estuaries. ^[8]

References

1. "Acacia binervia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
2. P.G. Kodela. "New South Wales Flora Online: Acacia binervia". Royal Botanic Gardens & Domain Trust, Sydney, Australia.
3. Benson, Doug; McDougall, Lyn (1996). "Ecology of Sydney Plant Species Part 4: Dicotyledon family Fabaceae" (PDF). Cunninghamia. 4 (4): 552–752. ISSN   0727-9620. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-23. Retrieved 2011-11-01.
4. "Acacia binervia". VICFLORA-Flora of Victoria. Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
5. "Acacia binervia (J.C.Wendl.) J.F.Macbr". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
6. Macbride, James (1919). "Acacia binervia". Contributions of the Gray Herbarium of Harvard University (59): 7. Retrieved 28 January 2025.
7. "Mimosa binervia J.C.Wendl". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government.
8. "D'harawal calendar". Indigenous Weather Knowledge. Bureau of Meteorology. 2016. Retrieved 22 April 2022.