Acacia daphnifolia

Acacia daphnifolia
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. daphnifolia
Binomial name
Acacia daphnifolia Meisn. [1]
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
Acacia subfalcata Meisn

Acacia daphnifolia, also known as northern manna gum, ^[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a shrub or tree with mostly smooth grey bark, lance-shaped to narrowly elliptic or oblong phyllodes, spherical heads of fragrant, golden yellow flowers and thinly leathery pods resembling a string of beads.

Description

Acacia daphnifolia is a shrub or tree that typically grows to a height of 2.5–4 m (8 ft 2 in – 13 ft 1 in) and has many stems. It often produces new individuals by root suckers. Its bark is mostly smooth and grey. The phyllodes are lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, to narrowly elliptic or sometimes oblong, straight to slightly curved, 60–100 mm (2.4–3.9 in) long, 6–15 mm (0.24–0.59 in) wide and thinly leathery with a single vein on each side. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

The flowers are borne in spherical heads on peduncles 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long and covered with soft, light golden or silvery white hairs. The heads are 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) in diameter with 17 to 30 showy, golden yellow, delicately fragrant flowers. Flowering occurs from late April to mid July, and the pods are dark brown to blackish and appearing somewhat like a string of beads, 80–200 mm (3.1–7.9 in) long, 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) wide and thinly leathery. The seeds are oblong to elliptic, 7–9 mm (0.28–0.35 in) long and 5.0–5.5 mm (0.20–0.22 in) wide with a club-shaped aril. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Taxonomy

Acacia daphnifolia was first formally described in 1855 by the botanist Carl Meissner in 1855 in the work Botanische Zeitung from specimens collected by James Drummond. ^{[5] [6]} The specific epithet (daphnifolia) means ' Daphne -leaved'. ^[7]

This species is a member of the Acacia microbotrya group and is similar to A. amblyophylla and A. splendens . ^[2]

Distribution

This species of wattle grows in flat or undulating country, where it is often found in lower parts in water-gaining sites, commonly near granite, also often on degraded road verges, in sandy loam or clay-loam soils. It occurs from near Cataby, Watheroo and the Manmanning-Bencubbin area through Mullewa to near Ajana in the Avon Wheatbelt, Geraldton Sandplains, Mallee, Swan Coastal Plain amd Yalgoo bioregions of south-western Western Australia. ^{[3] [4]}

Conservation status

Acacia daphnifolia is listed as "not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. ^[4]

See also

• List of Acacia species

References

1. "Acacia daphnifolia". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
2. "Acacia daphnifolia Meisn". Wattle - Acacias of Australia. Department of the Environment and Energy . Retrieved 29 April 2019.
3. Maslin, Bruce R.; Kodela, Phillip G. "Acacia daphnifolia". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
4. "Acacia daphnifolia". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
5. "Acacia daphnifolia". APNI. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
6. Meissner, Carl (1855). "Leguminosae quaedam Australasicae novae". Botanische Zeitung. 13 (1): 11. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
7. George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 180. ISBN   9780645629538.