Acacia glaucoptera

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Flat wattle
Acacia glaucoptera.jpg
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. glaucoptera
Binomial name
Acacia glaucoptera
Acacia glaucopteraDistMap393.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
  • Acacia sinuata Jacques
  • Racosperma glaucopterum(Benth.) Pedley
  • Acacia bossiaeoidesauct. non A.Cunn. ex Benth.: Seemann, B.C. (1852)
Habit Acacia glaucoptera habit.jpg
Habit

Acacia glaucoptera, commonly known as clay wattle, flat wattle or claybush wattle, [2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a prostrate, sprawling or erect shrub with glabrous, straight branchlets, winged, leathery phyllodes continuous with the branchlets, spherical heads of golden yellow flowers and coiled and twisted, thinly crust-like black pods.

Contents

Description

Acacia glaucoptera is a prostrate or seim-prostrate, sprawling to erect shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.3–1.5 m (1 ft 0 in – 4 ft 11 in) and often has somewhat gangling branches. The branchlets are glabrous and straight to slightly winding. The phyllodes are continuous with the branchlets, forming wings on alternate sides, each wing extending to the one below, usually 25–70 mm (0.98–2.76 in) long and 6–20 mm (0.24–0.79 in) wide, the free part of the phyllode usually 10–40 mm (0.39–1.57 in) long. The flowers are borne in a spherical head in leaf axils on a peduncle 3–18 mm (0.12–0.71 in) long, the heads 5–6 mm (0.20–0.24 in) in diameter with 30 to 80 golden yellow flowers. Flowering mainly occurs between August and December with the main flush between August and October. The pods are irregularly coiled and twisted, up to 20 mm (0.79 in) long and 2–3 mm (0.079–0.118 in) wide, thinly crusty, black and glabrous. The seeds are more or less oblong, 2.5–3.5 mm (0.098–0.138 in) long with a conical aril on the end. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Taxonomy

Acacia glaucoptera was first formally described in 1855 by the botanist George Bentham in Linnaea: ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. [6] [7] The specific epithet (glaucoptera) means 'grey winged', referring to the phyllodes. [8]

This species is closely related to A. bifaria and the phyllodes resemble A. pterocaulon . [4]

Distribution and habitat

Clay wattle grows in clay and gravelly soils in woodland, shrubland and mallee from near Narrogin, south to near Manypeaks and east to Israelite Bay [2] in the Avon Wheatbelt, Esperance Plains, Jarrah Forest and Mallee bioregions of south-western Western Australia. [5]

Conservation status

Acacia glaucoptera is listed as by 'not threatened" by the Government of Western Australia Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. [5]

Use in horticulture

This species is often grown for its unusual wing-like phyllodes. It requires good drainage and occasional pruning to remove dead wood. It will withstand temperatures down to −7 °C. [9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Acacia glaucoptera". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia glaucoptera". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. h. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "Acacia glaucoptera". Australian Biological Resources Study. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Acacia glaucoptera". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 "Acacia glaucoptera". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  6. ↑ "Acacia glaucocarpa". Australian Plant Name Index. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Bentham, G. (1855). "Plantae Muellerianae: Mimoseae". Linnaea: Ein Journal für die Botanik in ihrem ganzen Umfange, oder Beiträge zur Pflanzenkunde. 26: 604.
  8. ↑ George, Alex S.; Sharr, Francis A. (2023). Western Australian Plant Names and Their Meanings - A Glossary (fifth ed.). Kardinya: Four Gables Press. p. 211. ISBN   9780645629538.
  9. ↑ "Acacia glaucoptera". Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 23 August 2018.
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