Townsville wattle | |
---|---|
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Fabales |
Family: | Fabaceae |
Clade: | Mimosoideae |
Genus: | Acacia |
Species: | A. leptostachya |
Binomial name | |
Acacia leptostachya | |
Acacia leptostachya occurrence data from Australasian Virtual Herbarium [1] |
Acacia leptostachya, commonly known as Townsville wattle [2] or slender wattle, [3] is a shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia.
The shrub or tree typically grows to a maximum height of 0.5 to 6 m (1 ft 8 in to 19 ft 8 in). It has hairy ribbed branchlets with resinous young shoots. Like most species of Acacia it has phyllodes rather than true leaves. The evergreen phyllodes have silvery coloured hairs and a narrowly elliptic to lanceolate shape that can be straight or shallowly curved. The phyllodes have a length of 4 to 9 cm (1.6 to 3.5 in) and a width of 2 to 12 mm (0.079 to 0.472 in) and contain many fine, rather closely packed veins, with two or three that are more prominent. [2] The simple inflorescences occur in pairs on racemes. The cylindrical flower-spikes have a length of 2 to 4 cm (0.79 to 1.57 in) and is sub-densely packed with golden flowers. Following flowering firmly chartaceous to thinly coriaceous and glabrous seed pods form. the pods have a linear shape and are raised over the seeds and a have a length up to around 6 cm (2.4 in) and a width of 2 to 9 mm (0.079 to 0.354 in). The shiny brown seeds have an oblong shape with a length of 2.7 to 4 mm (0.11 to 0.16 in) with a small aril. [2]
Th species was first formally described by the botanist George Bentham in 1864 as part of the work Flora Australiensis , it was reclassified as Racosperma leptostachyum by Leslie Pedley in 1987 then transferred back to genus Acacia in 2001. Other synonyms include Acacia capillosa and Acacia argentea and is commonly confused with Acacia conspersa . [4] The specific epithet is derived from the Greek words lepto meaning slender and stachys meaning ear of corn in reference to the shape of the flower spikes. [5]
It is endemic to central-eastern parts of Cape York Peninsula from around Coen in the north extending through coastal and inland areas to around Maryborough and south of Charleville in the south. It is found in a variety of habitat growing in deep sandy or skeletal soils overlaying granite or sandstone bedrock as a part of Eucalyptus woodland communities or Triodia grasslands. [2]
The shrub or tree grows well a full sun position in dry well drained soils. It can be propagated from seed after seeds are scarified or treated with boiling water. [5]
Acacia verticillata is a perennial shrub to small tree native to south eastern Australia.
Acacia hamersleyensis, also known as Karijini wattle or Hamersley Range wattle, is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae. It is endemic to a small area in central Western Australia.
Acacia hopperiana is a small tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to western Australia.
Acacia intorta is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to arid parts of central Western Australia.
Acacia jibberdingensis, also known as Jibberding wattle or willow-leafed wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to Western 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 oncinocarpa is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to northern Australia.
Acacia phacelia, also known as the Kimberley cluster wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to a small area in north western Australia.
Acacia rhodophloia, commonly known as minni ritchi or western red mulga, is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to a large area of arid central western Australia. The Indigenous group the Kurrama peoples know the plant as mantaru.
Acacia sibina is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae the is endemic to parts of western Australia.
Acacia lacertensis is a tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is endemic to tropical parts of northern central Australia.
Acacia gracilifolia, commonly known as graceful wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves native to a small area of central southern Australia.
Acacia linearifolia, commonly known as stringybark wattle or narrow-leaved wattle, is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to eastern Australia.
Acacia conspersa is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to northern 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 curranii, also known as curly-bark wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia. It is listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Acacia gracillima is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north western Australia.
Acacia tenuinervis is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to north eastern Australia.
Acacia pycnostachya, also known as Bolivia wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to eastern Australia.
Acacia is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to an area of northern Australia.