| Acacia elachantha | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Clade: | Mimosoideae |
| Genus: | Acacia |
| Species: | A. elachantha |
| Binomial name | |
| Acacia elachantha | |
 | |
| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia elachantha is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae. It is native to arid parts of central and northern Australia.
The shrub is open and spindly and typically grows to a height of 1 to 5 metres (3 to 16 ft). It blooms from July to October producing yellow flowers. [1] The main branches coming from the base are ascending to erect, crowns have sparse foliage are normally open and spreading. The bark on most branches is smooth thin and grey but it does darken and become longitudinally fissured at base of the main mature stems. The silvery to silvery blue-green phyllodes are falcately recurved over their entire length. Each phyllode is 8 to 19.5 centimetres (3 to 8 in) in length and 7 to 22 millimetres (0.3 to 0.9 in) wide. There are one or two simple inflorescences on each axil forming light golden flower spikes that are 15 to 33 mm (0.6 to 1.3 in) with flowers densely arranged within. Following flowering red-brown to dark brown linear seed pods form. Each pod is 4 to 11 mm (0.16 to 0.43 in) long and 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) and are straight to shallowly curved. The seeds within are obloid and dark brown to black with a yellow anil. [2]
A. elachantha is a fast growing but short-lived species usually dies after five years. It that regenerates rapidly from the large quantities of seed that it produces from an early age. [2]
The species was first formally described by the botanists Bruce Maslin and Maurice McDonald in 1997 in the work A reappraisal of Acacia cowleana and allied taxa, including the description of a new species, A. elachantha, from the tropical dry-zone of Australia as published in the journal Australian Systematic Botany. [3] The type specimen was collected in 1995 by McDonald and P.A.Butcher west of the Cuddapan turn off along Birdsville–Windorah road. [4]
The only synonym is Racosperma elachanthum as described by Leslie Pedley but the name is often misapplied to Acacia cowleana . [3]
The species name is taken from the Greek words elachys meaning small or little and anthos meaning flower referring to the smaller flower spikes compared to its closest relative A. cowleana. [2]
In Western Australia it is found in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions where it has a scattered distribution. [1] It is also found throughout the Northern Territory [2] extending as far east as central and south west Queensland [5] [2] and into the far north east South Australia. [6] [2] The shrub grows mainly on sandplains in deep red sand or sandy loam soils but also occurs along watercourses or drainage lines, and on low rocky hills or lateritic plains in often skeletal soils. It is often found in disturbed areas such as road verges. [2] It is often part of tall open shrubland communities or in low open woodlands along with species of Eucalyptus . [7]
A. elachantha can be used for soil rehabilitation as it is drought tolerant, fast growing and grows well in poor soils. [7] The seed of the plant is edible and high nutritious. The bark contains tannins and are astringent and could be used to treat diarrhoea and dysentery. The gum can also be taken to treat diarrhoea and haemorrhoids. The wood can be used for light construction, as fuel or to make charcoal. [7] It also useful as a nitrogen fixing plant. [7]
The Walmajarri people of the Paruku IPA in the Kimberley call this wattle Parta. [8]
Acacia inaequilatera, commonly known as kanji bush, baderi, camel bush, fire wattle, kanyji bush or ranji bush is a tree in the family Mimosaceae. Endemic to Australia, it is widely distributed in the semi-arid Triodia country eastwards from Karratha, Western Australia into the Northern Territory.
Acacia colei is a perennial bush or tree native to northern Australia and southern Asia. A common name for it is Cole's wattle. Acacia colei blooms from May through September and the flowers are bright yellow.
Acacia bivenosa, commonly known as two-nerved wattle, two-veined wattle or hill umbrella bush, is a species of Acacia found in northern Australia.
Acacia cowleana, Halls Creek wattle, is a northern Australian native shrub. It is a flowering plant with yellow flowers that only open in winter. Its origin is the Northern Australia's dry tropics. It belongs to the genus of Acacia.
Acacia leptocarpa, commonly known as north coast wattle, is a shrub or small tree native to New Guinea and coastal regions of northern Australia.
Acacia adoxa, commonly known as the grey-whorled wattle, is a species of plant in the legume family that is native to northern Australia.
Acacia spondylophylla, commonly known as curry wattle or spine-leaf wattle, is a small, flat topped shrub native to central and western Australia. The leaves, which are arranged on spaced whorls around the stem, have a distinctive curry-like smell.
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.
Acacia ancistrocarpa, commonly known as fitzroy wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae. The shrub is also known as fish hook wattle, pindan wattle and shiny leaved wattle.
Acacia arida, commonly known as arid wattle or false melaleuca, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae native to Western Australia.
Acacia hilliana, commonly known as Hill's tabletop wattle but also known as sandhill wattle and Hilltop wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae. It is native to northern Australia.
Acacia pachycarpa is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to central and western parts of northern Australia.
Acacia tenuissima, commonly known as narrow-leaved wattle, broom wattle, minyana, slender mulga or slender wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae endemic to temperate and tropical areas of Australia. Indigenous Australians the Kurrama peoples know the plant as Janangungu and the Banyjima know it as Murruthurru.
Acacia thomsonii, commonly known as Thomson's wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that native to parts of northern Australia.
Acacia ampliceps, also known as salt wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is native to north western parts of Australia.
Acacia dictyophleba, also known as the sandhill wattle, waxy wattle and feather veined wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae. The Nyangumarta peoples know the plant as Langkur or Lungkun and the Thalanyji know it as Jabandi.
Acacia melleodora, commonly known as scented wax wattle, waxy wattle, honey wattle or honey scented wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to arid parts of central Australia.
Acacia balsamea, commonly known as balsam wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves.
Acacia retivenea, commonly known as the net-veined wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic across northern Australia.
Acacia sericophylla is a shrub or tree commonly known as the desert dogwood, desert oak or cork-bark wattle. To the Indigenous Australian people of the Pilbara, the Nyangumarta peoples, it is known as Pirrkala. The species is of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves.