Acacia pulchella

Last updated

Prickly Moses
Acacia pulchella.jpg
A. pulchella
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. pulchella
Binomial name
Acacia pulchella
Acacia pulchellaDistMap733.png
Occurrence data from AVH
Synonyms [1]

Acacia pulchella f. typica E.Pritz.
Racosperma pulchellum(R.Br.) Pedley

Contents

Acacia pulchella in Glen Forrest Acacia pulchella GlenForrest08.JPG
Acacia pulchella in Glen Forrest
Acacia pulchella seed pods Acacia pulchella 24366993287 8e462c9dc0 o.jpg
Acacia pulchella seed pods

Acacia pulchella, commonly known as prickly moses [2] or western prickly moses, [3] is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. Endemic to Western Australia, it is one of the most common shrubs of the bushland around Perth and in the Darling Range.

Description

The shrub typically grows to a height of 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) branches freely, and has flexuose and spine-tipped pale green branchlets and 1 mm (0.039 in) stipules. The leaves are composed of three to five pinnae. [3] Prickly moses is one of only few Acacia species to have true leaves rather than phyllodes. It has feathery, bipinnate leaves with leaflets up to 5 mm long. At the base of each leaf is one or two spines. It flowers in late winter and early spring. The rudimentary inflorescences occur in groups of one to three racemose spherical flower heads with a diameter of about 1 cm (0.39 in), usually containing 10 to 40 but sometimes up to 60 golden coloured flowers. The crustaceous seed pods that form after flowering have a narrowly oblong shape and are flat or slightly undulate with a length of 1.5 to 5 cm (0.59 to 1.97 in) and a width of 3 to 5 mm (0.12 to 0.20 in).The brown seeds inside are mostly oblong and 2.5 to 4.5 mm (0.098 to 0.177 in) in length. [4] The name "prickly moses" is said to be a corruption of "prickly mimosa".

Taxonomy

It was first described in 1813 by Robert Brown. [5] [6]

The specific epithet is derived from Latin and names small and beautiful. [3] There are four recognised varieties:

It belongs to the A pulchella group of wattles along with Acacia amputata , Acacia epacantha , Acacia fagonioides , Acacia guinetii , Acacia lasiocarpa and Acacia megacephala . [4]

Distribution

It is found in the Perth, Peel, South West, Great Southern, and southern parts of the Wheatbelt and Mid West, where it is commonly situated in swamps, low-lying areas, and near creeks and rivers. [2] The range of the plant extends from around Geraldton in the north down to near Esperance in the east and to coastal areas in the west and south. Geraldton to Esperance. A single population in Creek Conservation ParkPark has also been recorded in South Australia. [3]

Ecology

Recent research suggests that A. pulchella may in some circumstances suppress the plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi . [7]

Uses

This prickly shrub is useful as a screen to inhibit animal and human access to areas. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

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

Acacia glaucoptera, commonly known as flat wattle or clay wattle, is a species of Acacia which is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

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

Acacia nigricans is a species of wattle which is endemic to an area on the south coast of Western Australia.

<i>Adenanthos pungens</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to the south-west of Western Australia

Adenanthos pungens, the spiky adenanthos, is a species of shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.

Calothamnus gracilis is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is a spreading shrub with upright foliage, common in heath within its range. It has long, thin leaves and produces dark red flowers at different times of the year, depending partly on rainfall. It is similar to Calothamnus gibbosus but lacks the corky bark on the older branches of that species and its flowers and fruit are not as deeply embedded in the bark.

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

Acacia andrewsii is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to western Australia.

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

Acacia erinacea, also known as prickly wattle, is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is native to Western Australia.

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

Acacia hastulata is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to an area in south western Australia.

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

Acacia laricina is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to south western Australia.

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

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.

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

Acacia prainii, commonly known as Prain's wattle, is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae endemic to Australia.

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

Acacia pycnocephala is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to south western Australia.

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

Acacia ancistrophylla is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is native to several areas on southern Australia.

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

Acacia colletioides, commonly known as wait-a-while, pin bush and spine bush, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is native to Australia.

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

Acacia dissona is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to an area of south western Australia.

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

Acacia flavipila is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to an area of south western Australia.

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

Acacia lobulata, commonly known as Chiddarcooping wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves that is endemic to a small area of south western Australia. It was declared as rare flora in 1997 and is now listed as endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

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

Acacia oswaldii, commonly known as boree, umbrella wattle, umbrella bush, whyacka, middia, miljee, nella and curly yarran, is a shrub or tree of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves.

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

Acacia sclerophylla, commonly known as the hard-leaf wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Plurinerves and is endemic to southern parts of Australia.

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

Acacia guinetii, commonly known as Guinet's wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Pulchellae that is endemic to a small area along the coast of western Australia

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

Acacia lasiocarpa, commonly known as Panjang or Pajang or glow wattle, is a shrub of the genus Acacia and the subgenus Pulchellae that is endemic to Western Australia.

References

  1. "Acacia pulchella R.Br". www.plantsoftheworldonline.org. Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  2. 1 2 "Acacia pulchella". FloraBase . Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Acacia pulchella". Electronic Flora of South Australia species Fact Sheet. Government of South Australia . Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Acacia pulchella". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium . Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  5. "Acacia pulchella". Australian Plant Name Index, IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 2021-07-14.
  6. Brown, R. (1813). Aiton, W.T. (ed.). "Polygamia monoecia". Hortus Kewensis. 5 (2 ed.): 464.
  7. Arunodini Jayasekera, Interactions between Phytophthora cinnamomi and Acacia pulchella: consequences on ecology and epidemiology of the pathogen, Murdoch University, Western Australia, PhD thesis 2006
  8. "York gum species list". Toodyay Land Conservation District Committee. Archived from the original on 2014-01-25.