Weeping myall | |
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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. pendula |
Binomial name | |
Acacia pendula | |
Occurrence data from AVH |
Acacia pendula, commonly known as the weeping myall, [1] true myall, myall, silver-leaf boree, [2] boree, [1] and nilyah, [3] is a species of wattle, which is native to Australia. The 1889 book The Useful Native Plants of Australia records that common names included "Weeping Myall", "True Myall", and Indigenous people of western areas of New South Wales and Queensland referred to the plant as "Boree" and "Balaar". [4]
The tree typically grows to a height of 5 to 13 m (16 to 43 ft) [1] and a width of 4 to 6 m (13 to 20 ft) [5] and has an erect, pendulous to spreading habit. It has hard fissured grey bark on the trunk and limbs. It has pendulous branches with angled or flattened branchlets that are covered in short fine hairs but becomes glabrous as it matures. The grey-green narrow phyllodes are about 4 to 14 cm (1.6 to 5.5 in) in length and 3 to 10 mm (0.12 to 0.39 in) wide and have a narrowly elliptic to very narrowly elliptic or sometimes narrowly oblong-elliptic shape and can be straight or curved The phyllodes have many longitudinal indistinct veins, a subacute apex with mucro and one gland near base. [1] It flowers in the summer and autumn from around November to May and produces yellow flowers. The inflorescences mostly occur in groups of two to five on an axillary axis. The spherical flower heads have a diameter of 3 to 7 mm (0.12 to 0.28 in) and contain 10 to 20 bright yellow flowers. The papery to leathery green seed pods that form after flowering are flat and straight to strongly curved and age to a brown colour. The pods are irregularly constricted between each seed and are 3 to 9 cm (1.2 to 3.5 in) in length and 10 to 20 mm (0.39 to 0.79 in). [1] Seeds are often collected between October and January. [3]
The species was formally described by the botanist George Don in 1832 as part of the work A General History of Dichlamydeous Plants. It was reclassified as Racosperma pendulum by Leslie Pedley in 1987 then transferred back to genus Acacia in 2014. [6] The specific epithet is in reference to the pendulous habit of the tree. [1] It is derived from the Latin word pendere meaning 'to hang down'. [3]
It occurs naturally in dry outback areas in Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria. In New South Wales the tree has a disjunct but widespread distribution throughout inland areas, usually to the west of the upper Hunter Valley. It is often situated on major river floodplains growing as part of woodlands, sometimes as the dominant species, where it grows well in heavy clay soils. [1] In all states it is found to the west of the Great Dividing Range growing in alluvial soils consisting of sand, gravel, silt and clay in areas that receive 400 to 600 mm (16 to 24 in) of annual rainfall. [3]
In The Useful Native Plants of Australia it was noted that "Stock are very fond of the leaves of this tree, especially in seasons of drought, and for this reason, and because they eat down the seedlings, it has almost become exterminated in parts of the colonies." [4]
The tree is available commercially as seedlings [5] or in seed form and has many desirable properties in areas of low rainfall since it is drought tolerant. It is also frost tolerant and will grow in heavy clay soils. It is useful as a shelter-tree or as a windbreak and attracts native birds, particularly parrots who use the seeds as a food source. The rhizobium nodules in the roots also assist in fixing nitrogen into the soil. The blue-grey foliage and weeping habit make it popular both domestically and in overseas cultivation, including in Iran and Kuwait. [3]
Acacia papyrocarpa, commonly known as western myall, is a tree in the family Fabaceae native to arid areas of central and western Australia.
Acacia fimbriata, commonly known as the fringed wattle, Brisbane golden wattle, or just the Brisbane wattle, is a species of Acacia that is native to much of the east coast of Australia. It is one of the floral emblems of the city of Brisbane, Queensland.
Acacia neriifolia, also known as the oleander wattle, silver wattle or pechy wattle, is a tree in the genus Acacia native to north eastern Australia. It is common in the Moonbi Ranges.
Acacia stenophylla, commonly referred to as the shoestring acacia, is an evergreen tree in the family Fabaceae and native to Australia. It is not considered rare or endangered.
Acacia prominens is a shrub or tree in the genus Acacia native to New South Wales, Australia.
Acacia flavescens, also known as the red wattle, yellow wattle or primrose ball wattle, is a tree in the genus Acacia native to eastern 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 paraneura, commonly known as weeping mulga, is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Juliflorae. It is native to arid regions of Australia. The Indigenous Kurrama peoples know the tree as warlun.
Acacia daphnifolia, also known as northern manna gum, is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to Western Australia.
Acacia microbotrya, commonly known as manna wattle or gum wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is native to Western Australia.
Acacia calcicola is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is native to parts of central Australia. Common names for this species include; shrubby wattle, shrubby mulga, myall-gidgee, northern myall and grey myall. Indigenous Australians the Pitjantjatjara peoples know the tree as ikatuka, the Warlpiri know it as jirlarti and the Arrernte know it as irrakwetye.
Acacia multisiliqua is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to northern Australia.
Acacia oswaldii, commonly known as boree, umbrella wattle, umbrella bush, whyacka, middia, miljee, nelia and curly yarran, is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves.
Acacia rubida, commonly known as red stem wattle, red stemmed wattle or red leaved wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is native to parts of eastern Australia.
Acacia provincialis, commonly known as swamp wattle or wirilda or water wattle or perennial wattle, is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to southern and south eastern Australia.
Acacia sertiformis, commonly known as curly-leaved wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to north eastern Australia.
Acacia siculiformis, commonly known as dagger wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae native to south eastern Australia.
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.
Acacia excelsa, also known as ironwood, rosewood, bunkerman and doodlallie is a tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to inland parts of north-eastern Australia. In the Gamilaraay language it is known as dhan, gayan or gan.
Acacia subporosa, also commonly known as river wattle, bower wattle, narrow-leaf bower wattle and sticky bower wattle, is a tree or shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to an area of south eastern Australia. It is considered to be rare in Victoria