| North coast wattle | |
|---|---|
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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. leptocarpa |
| Binomial name | |
| Acacia leptocarpa A.Cunn. ex Benth. | |
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
Acacia leptocarpa, commonly known as north coast wattle, [1] is a shrub or small tree native to New Guinea and coastal regions of northern Australia. [2]
Acacia leptocarpa normally grows as a small tree, 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft) in height [2] but can reach as high as 15 m (49 ft), [3] although it occasionally flowers as a shrub as low as 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall. [2] It has dark grey to almost black coloured bark of the ‘ironbark’ type. The angular branchlets are lenticellate and glabrous. [3] The phyllodes have falcate shaped blades with a length of 12 to 21 cm (4.7 to 8.3 in) and a width of 1 to 2.5 cm (0.39 to 0.98 in). the glabrous phyllodes have a visible gland on the upper margin with longitudinal and parallel veins, three of which are more prominent than the others. It also has small and inconspicuous stipules. [2] It blooms from Autumn to Spring [1] and produces pleasantly perfumed yellow coloured inflorescences on spikes that are around 5 to 7 cm (2.0 to 2.8 in) and found in groups of two in the leaf axils. After flowering it forms linear, curved or coiled seed pods with a length of around 12 cm (4.7 in) and a width of 0.3 cm (0.12 in). The shiny dark brown to black seeds within the pods are arranged longitudinally and have a length of around 4 mm (0.16 in) [2] with a large yellow-orange aril. [1]
A. leptocarpa resembles Acacia cowleana and Acacia elachantha but has glabrous and thinner phyllodes and longer, more curved pods. It is thought to be allied with Acacia tropica and Acacia cretata . The seed pods appear very similar to those of Acacia gardneri . [3]
The species was first formally described by the botanist George Bentham in 1842 as part of William Jackson Hooker's work Notes on Mimoseae, with a synopsis of species as published in the London Journal of Botany. It was reclassified as Racosperma leptocarpum by Leslie Pedley in 1987 and transferred back to genus Acacia in 2001. [4] The type specimen was collected by Allan Cunningham around Cape Flinders in Queensland in 1820. [3] The specific epithet is derived from the Greek words leptos meaning slender and carpos meaning fruit in reference to the thin seed pods. [5]
It is mostly found in open forest, but will also grow in monsoon forest and rainforest margins. The natural range extends from Carlton Hill Station in the Kimberley region of Western Australia eastwards across the Top End of the Northern Territory to Cape York Peninsula and southwards to Southern Central Queensland where it is found along the margins of watercourses and swampy areas [2] growing in sandy or rocky soils occasionally around laterite as a part of open Eucalyptus or Melaleuca woodland communities. [3]
Acacia binervata, commonly known as two-veined hickory, is a shrub or tree that is endemic to eastern Australia.
Acacia bakeri, known as the marblewood, white marblewood, Baker's wattle or scrub wattle, is one of the largest of all acacias, growing to 40 m (130 ft) tall. It is a long-lived climax rainforest tree from eastern Australia. Unlike most acacias, fire is not required for seed germination. This tree is considered vulnerable to extinction. Its former habitat is lowland subtropical rainforest, which has been mostly cleared in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Acacia conniana is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to the southern coast of western Australia.
Acacia filamentosa is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to north western Australia.
Acacia limbata is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic across northern Australia.
Acacia multispicata, commonly known as spiked wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to south western Australia.
Acacia merrallii, commonly known as Merrall's wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to south western and southern Australia.
Acacia eremophiloides is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to Queensland.
Acacia juncifolia, commonly known as rush-leaf wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to north eastern Australia.
Acacia perangusta, commonly known as eprapah wattle, is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to eastern Australia.
Acacia ruppii, commonly known as Rupp's wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to eastern Australia. It is listed as endangered in the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Acacia saxicola, commonly known as Mount Maroon wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to eastern Australia.
Acacia blakei, commonly known as Blake's wattle or Wollomombi wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia.
Acacia caroleae, also known as Carole's wattle or narrow leaf currawong, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia.
Acacia cretata is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia.
Acacia disparrima, also commonly known as southern salwood, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia.
Acacia guymeri is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia. It was listed as vulnerable according to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 but was delisted in 2013. It is still listed as Vulnerable according to the Nature Conservation Act 1992 in Queensland.
Acacia solenota is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to north eastern Australia. The species was listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 in 2008.
Acacia spirorbis is a tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to eastern Australia.
Acacia torulosa is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia.