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

Acacia lateriticola
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. lateriticola
Binomial name
Acacia lateriticola
Occurrence data from AVH

Description edit

The ferny-leaved shrub typically grows to a height of 0.4 to 1.5 metres (1 to 5 ft)[1] and has hairy branchlets. The leaves are composed of two pairs of pinnae where the proximal pinnae are 2 to 6 mm (0.079 to 0.236 in) in length and the distal pinnae are 6 to 20 mm (0.24 to 0.79 in) in length. The proximal pinnae are composed of one to three pairs of pinnules while the distal pinnae have two to six pairs of pinnules. The flat and recurved green pinnules have an oblong to lanceolate shape with a length of 4 to 15 mm (0.16 to 0.59 in) and a width of 1.5 to 3 m (4 ft 11 in to 9 ft 10 in).[2] It blooms from May to October and produces yellow flowers.[1] The simple inflorescences are found singly or in pairs in the axils and have spherical flower-heads with a diameter of 7 to 10 mm (0.28 to 0.39 in) and contain 24 to 36 light golden or rarely cream coloured flowers. The crustaceous seed pods that form after flowering have a narrowly oblong shape with a length of 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2.0 in) and a width of 7 to 11 mm (0.28 to 0.43 in) with thickened margins.[2]

Taxonomy edit

The species was first formally described by the botanist Bruce Maslin in 1975 as a part of the work Studies in the genus Acacia (Mimosaceae) - A Revision of Series Pulchellae as published in the journal Nuytsia. It was reclassified as Racosperma lateriticola by Leslie Pedley in 2003 then transferred back to genus Acacia in 2006.[3]

Distribution edit

It is native to an area in the Peel and South West regions of Western Australia where it is usually found growing in lateritic soils.[1] The bulk of the population is found from around Chittering in the north to Manjimup in the east and Dunsborough in the south where it is often a part of Eucalyptus marginata and Corymbia calophylla woodland and forest communities.[2]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Acacia lateriticola". FloraBase. Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
  2. ^ a b c "Acacia lateriticola". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Acacia lateriticola Maslin". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 7 February 2021.