Acacia carens

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Acacia carens
Status DECF P2.svg
Priority Two — Poorly Known Taxa (DEC)
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. carens
Binomial name
Acacia carens
Synonyms [1]

Racosperma carens(Maslin) Pedley

Acacia carens is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to a small area near the coast of south-western Western Australia. It is an open, broom-like shrub with only a few phyllodes, often comprised of tiny, stipule-like appendages, spherical heads of yellow flowers, and linear, curved, crust-like to woody pods.

Contents

Description

Acacia carens is an open, broom-like shrub that typically grows to a height of up to 60 cm (24 in) and has striated, mostly glabrous branches. The phyllodes are mostly replaced by narrowly triangular, to narrowly oblong stipules that are 0.5–1 mm (0.020–0.039 in) long. The flowers are borne in spherical heads in axils on a peduncle 2–5 mm (0.079–0.197 in) long, each head 8 mm (0.31 in) in diameter with 13 to 14 yellow flowers. Flowering occurs from April to June, and the pods are linear, curved, up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long and about 4 mm (0.16 in) wide and crust-like to more or less woody, containing oblong seeds about 5 mm (0.20 in) long with a cone-shaped aril on the end. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Taxonomy

Acacia carens was first formally described in 1995 by the botanist Bruce Maslin in the journal Nuytsia from specimens collected in 1973. [3] [7] The specific epithet (carens) means 'lacking', referring to the absence of normal phyllodes on this plant. [3]

Distribution and habitat

This species of wattle is restricted to an area between Jurien Bay and Eneabba in the Geraldton Sandplains bioregions, where it grows on gravel in low heath. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Conservation status

Acacia carens is listed as "Priority Two" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, [6] meaning that it is poorly known and from one or a few locations. [8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Acacia carens". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 Maslin, Bruce R. Orchard, Anthony E.; Kodela, Phillip G. (eds.). "Acacia carens". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Maslin, Bruce R. (1995). "Acacia Miscellany 13. Taxonomy of some Western Australian phyllocladinous and aphyllodinous taxa (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae)". Nuytsia. 10 (2): 172–173. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  4. 1 2 "Acacia carens". WorldWideWattle. Western Australian Herbarium . Retrieved 10 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Acacia carens". Wattle - Acacias of Australia. Lucid Central. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "Acacia carens". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  7. ↑ "Acacia carens". APNI. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  8. ↑ "Conservation codes for Western Australian Flora and Fauna" (PDF). Government of Western Australia Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
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