Acacia daphnifolia, also known as northern manna gum,[1] is a tree or shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is endemic to Western Australia.

Acacia daphnifolia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Clade: Mimosoid clade
Genus: Acacia
Species:
A. daphnifolia
Binomial name
Acacia daphnifolia
Occurrence data from AVH

Description

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The tree or shrub typically grows to a height of 4.0 metres (13 ft) and has smooth light grey to red-brown bark on the stem and major branches. It is often composed of multiple stems and can spread by root-suckering. The dull-green phyllodes are patent or occasionally sub-pendulous with an oblanceolate to narrowly elliptic shape. The straight to shallowly recurved phyllodes have a length of 4 to 10 cm (1.6 to 3.9 in) and a width of 4 to 27 mm (0.16 to 1.06 in).[1] It blooms from May to June and produces yellow flowers.[2] The inflorescences have spherical flower-heads that have a diameter of 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in) containing 17 to 30 showy golden flowers with a delicate fragrance. The dark brown to black seed pods that form after flowering resemble a string of beads and have a length of 8 to 20 cm (3.1 to 7.9 in) and a width of 7 to 10 mm (0.28 to 0.39 in). The dull brown to black seeds have an oblong to elliptic shape. Seeds are 7 to 9 mm (0.28 to 0.35 in) in length and 5 to 5.5 mm (0.20 to 0.22 in) in width.[1]

Taxonomy

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The species was first formally described by the botanist Carl Meissner in 1855 in the work Botanische Zeitung. The only synonyms are Acacia microbotrya var. borealis and Acacia subfalcata.[3] The plant is a part of the Acacia microbotrya along with Acacia amblyophylla and Acacia splendens.[1]

Distribution

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It is native to an area in the Mid West and Wheatbelt regions of Western Australia. The plant is often situated in a variety of habitats including low hills, along the banks of creeks, around areas of saline drainage, flats and road verges where it grows in gravelly sandy-clay or loamy soils found around outcrops of granite or laterite.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Acacia daphnifolia Meisn". Wattle - Acacias of Australia. Department of the Environment and Energy. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Acacia daphnifolia". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  3. ^ "Acacia daphnifolia Meisn". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 29 April 2019.