Acacia paradoxa

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Acacia paradoxa
Acacia armata C.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. paradoxa
Binomial name
Acacia paradoxa
DC.
Acacia paradoxaDistMap672.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]
  • Homotypic Synonyms
    • Acacia armata var. angustifolia Benth.
    • Acacia armata var. paradoxa (DC.) Ser.
    • Acacia undulata Spin, Jard. St. Sebastien
    • Mimosa paradoxa (DC.) Dum.Cours.
    • Racosperma paradoxum (DC.) Pedley

    Heterotypic Synonyms

    • Acacia armata R.Br.
    • Acacia armata var. longipedunculata Regel
    • Acacia armata var. microphylla Benth.
    • Acacia armata f. ornithophora (Sweet) Siebert & Voss
    • Acacia armata var. ornithophora (Sweet) Benth.
    • Acacia armata var. pendula Seem.
    • Acacia armata var. typica Domin
    • Acacia armata var. undulata (Siebert & Voss) Riebe
    • Acacia armata f. undulata (Link) Siebert & Voss
    • Acacia armatoides Walp.
    • Acacia falcifolia Hoffmanns.
    • Acacia furcifera Lindl.
    • Acacia ornithophora Sweet
    • Acacia undulata Willd. ex Spreng.
    • Acacia undulata Willd. ex H.L.Wendl.
    • Acacia undulata var. elegans Jacques
    • Acacia undulata var. longispina Vis.
    • Phyllodoce armata (R.Br.) Link
    • Phyllodoce undulata Link
    • Racosperma armatum (R.Br.) Mart.
    • Racosperma undulatum Mart.
Acacia paradoxa habit Acacia paradoxa kz3.jpg
Acacia paradoxa habit
Acacia paradoxa foliage, stipules and flowers Acacia paradoxa (Hedge Wattle) (24631313579).jpg
Acacia paradoxa foliage, stipules and flowers
Kangaroo Thorn flower Kangaroo Thorn flower (6257402372).jpg
Kangaroo Thorn flower

Acacia paradoxa [2] is a plant in the family Fabaceae. Its common names include kangaroo acacia, [3] kangaroo thorn, prickly wattle, hedge wattle [4] and paradox acacia.

Contents

Description

The large shrub or tree up to 2 to 4 metres (7 to 13 ft) tall [5] and has a similar width, [4] it has ribbed branchlets that are often arched downward. It is dense with foliage; the leaves are actually enlarged petioles known as phyllodes. They are crinkly and the new ones are covered in hairs. The erect phyllodes are asymettric and have a lanceolate shape and are around 30 millimetres (1.18 in) in length and 7 mm (0.276 in) wide. [5] The bush is also full of long spines. It usually flowers between August and November [4] producing an axillary flower-spike with small, bright yellow spherical flower heads and the fruits are brown pods 4 to 7 centimetres (1.6 to 2.8 in) long. The hard black seeds within have an oblong shape and are about 6 mm (0.236 in) in length and half as wide. [5]

The spiny stipules that grow at the base of the phyllodes deter livestock from feeding on or too close to the plant.

Taxonomy

The species was first formally described by the botanist Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1813 as part of the work Catalogus Plantarum Horti Botanici Monspeliensis. [3] The species name is from the Greek words para which means near and doxa meaning glory. This probably refers the unattractive and thorny shrub being quite showy when it is in bloom. [5]

Many synonyms are known for the plant including; Acacia ornithophora, Acacia undulata, Mimosa paradoxa, Racosperma paradoxum, Acacia armata and Acacia hybrida. [3]

Distribution

Kangaroo thorn is widely spread across Australia, regenerating from seed after disturbances, such as bush fire. Small birds, including wrens, use this plant as shelter and dwelling, while it is relied upon as a food source for moths, butterflies and other insects, birds also feed on its seeds.

It is endemic to south eastern parts of South Australia, much of Victoria, eastern New South Wales and south eastern parts of Queensland. [3] It has become naturalised in parts of Western Australia and Tasmania. [5]

The plant has also been introduced to other continents. In the United States, kangaroo thorn is a well-known noxious weed in California. [6]

Cultivation

The plant is used as an ornamental or as a dense screening plant. It make an excellent habitat and food source for birds. It grows well in full sun or in a partly shaded position. It can be planted in dry to moist well-drained areas. [4] Seeds require pre-treatment such as scarification prior to planting. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Acacia sensu lato</i> Genus of legumes

Acacia s.l., known commonly as mimosa, acacia, thorntree or wattle, is a polyphyletic genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae. It was described by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773 based on the African species Acacia nilotica. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not. All species are pod-bearing, with sap and leaves often bearing large amounts of tannins and condensed tannins that historically found use as pharmaceuticals and preservatives.

<i>Acacia pycnantha</i> Golden wattle of southeastern Australia

Acacia pycnantha, most commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae. It grows to a height of 8 metres and has phyllodes instead of true leaves. The profuse fragrant, golden flowers appear in late winter and spring, followed by long seed pods. Explorer Thomas Mitchell collected the type specimen, from which George Bentham wrote the species description in 1842. The species is native to southeastern Australia as an understorey plant in eucalyptus forest. Plants are cross-pollinated by several species of honeyeater and thornbill, which visit nectaries on the phyllodes and brush against flowers, transferring pollen between them.

<i>Acacia cyclops</i> Species of plant

Acacia cyclops, commonly known as coastal wattle, cyclops wattle, one-eyed wattle, red-eyed wattle, redwreath acacia, western coastal wattle, rooikrans, rooikrans acacia, is a coastal shrub or small tree in the family Fabaceae. Native to Australia, it is distributed along the west coast of Western Australia as far north as Leeman, and along the south coast into South Australia. The Noongar peoples of Western Australia know the plant as wilyawa or woolya wah.

<i>Acacia saligna</i> Species of plant in the family Fabaceae native to Australia

Acacia saligna, commonly known by various names including coojong, golden wreath wattle, orange wattle, blue-leafed wattle, Western Australian golden wattle, and, in Africa, Port Jackson willow, is a small tree in the family Fabaceae. Native to Australia, it is widely distributed throughout the south west corner of Western Australia, extending north as far as the Murchison River, and east to Israelite Bay. The Noongar peoples know the tree as Cujong.

<i>Acacia ligulata</i> Species of plant

Acacia ligulata is a species of Acacia, a dense shrub widespread in all states of mainland Australia. It is not considered rare or endangered. Its common names include sandhill wattle, umbrella bush, marpoo, dune wattle, small coobah, wirra, and watarrka.

<i>Acacia longifolia</i> Species of plant

Acacia longifolia is a species of Acacia native to southeastern Australia, from the extreme southeast of Queensland, eastern New South Wales, eastern and southern Victoria, southeastern South Australia, and Tasmania. Common names for it include long-leaved wattle, acacia trinervis, aroma doble, golden wattle, coast wattle, sallow wattle and Sydney golden wattle. It is not listed as being a threatened species, and is considered invasive in Portugal, New Zealand and South Africa. In the southern region of Western Australia, it has become naturalised and has been classed as a weed due to its out-competing indigenous species. It is a tree that grows very quickly, reaching 7–10 m in five to six years.

<i>Acacia verticillata</i> Species of legume

Acacia verticillata is a perennial shrub to small tree native to south eastern Australia.

<i>Acacia lineata</i> Species of legume

Acacia lineataA.Cunn. ex G.Don, commonly known as streaked wattle or narrow lined-leaved wattle, occurs naturally inland eastern Australia. The genus Acacia is the largest genus of flowering plants in Australia, containing around 1000 species throughout a diverse range of environments from coast to desert.

<i>Acacia burkittii</i> Species of legume

Acacia burkittii is a species of wattle endemic to Western Australia, South Australia and western New South Wales, where it is found in arid zones, and is a perennial shrub in the family Fabaceae. Common names for it include Burkitt's wattle, fine leaf jam, gunderbluey, pin bush and sandhill wattle. It has also been introduced into India. Previously this species was referred to as Acacia acuminata subsp. burkittii, but is now considered to be a separate species. It grows in mallee, eucalypt and mulga woodland or shrubland, often on sandhills.

<i>Acacia continua</i> Species of plant

Acacia continua, or the thorn wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Alatae. It native to New South Wales and South Australia.

<i>Acacia spinescens</i> Species of plant

Acacia spinescens, commonly known as spiny wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Alatae. It is native to New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria.

<i>Acacia dictyophleba</i> Species of plant

Acacia dictyophleba, also known as the sandhill wattle, waxy wattle, feather veined wattle, and spear tree, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae, found in Australia. The Nyangumarta peoples know the plant as Langkur or Lungkun; the Thalanyji know it as Jabandi; and the Pintupi know it as mulyati.

<i>Acacia iteaphylla</i> Species of plant

Acacia iteaphylla, commonly known as Flinders Range wattle, Port Lincoln wattle, winter wattle and willow-leaved wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to South Australia.

<i>Acacia melleodora</i> Species of plant

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.

<i>Acacia pentadenia</i> Species of legume

Acacia pentadenia, commonly known as karri wattle, is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Pulchellae.

<i>Acacia calamifolia</i> Species of plant

Acacia calamifolia, commonly known as wallowa or reed-leaf wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae endemic to south eastern parts of Australia.

<i>Acacia glandulicarpa</i> Species of legume

Acacia glandulicarpa, commonly known as the hairy-pod wattle, is a perennial shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodinea that is native to parts of south eastern Australia.

<i>Acacia wilhelmiana</i> Species of plant

Acacia wilhelmiana, commonly known as dwarf nealie, Wilhelmi’s wattle and mist wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves native to the mallee region of central and eastern Australia.

<i>Acacia simmonsiana</i> Species of plant

Acacia simmonsiana, commonly known as Simmons wattle or desert manna wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to south eastern Australia.

<i>Acacia doratoxylon</i> Species of plant

Acacia doratoxylon, commonly known as currawang, lancewood, spearwood or coast myall, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae that is native to eastern and south eastern Australia.

References

  1. "Acacia paradoxa". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved 28 August 2022.
  2. "Acacia paradoxa". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2008-04-03.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Acacia paradoxa DC. Kangaroo Acacia". Atals of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Archived from the original on 26 November 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Acacia paradoxa". Yarra Ranges. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Acacia paradoxa (Leguminosae) Kangaroo Thorn". Seeds of South Australia. Government of South Australia . Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  6. "Acacia paradoxa". Plants Profile. United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2 April 2012.

Further reading