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Acacia amoena

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boomerang wattle
In the Mount Annan Botanic Gardens
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. amoena
Binomial name
Acacia amoena
Occurrence data from AVH
Habit

Acacia amoena, commonly known as boomerang wattle,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to south-eastern continental Australia. It is a shapely, erect or spreading shrub with usually lance-shaped to elliptic phyllodes, usually yellow or bright yellow flowers arranged in a raceme of 5 to 21 heads each with 6 to 12 flowers, and straight or curved pods 40–120 mm (1.6–4.7 in) long.

Description

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Acacia amoena is a shapely, erect or spreading shrub that typically grows to a height of 0.5 to 3 m (1 ft 8 in to 9 ft 10 in) and has glabrous reddish brown branchlets. Its phyllodes are more or less lance-shaped with the narrower end towards the base, to elliptic, mostly 30–75 mm (1.2–3.0 in) long and 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) wide and sometimes slightly curved. The flowers are arranged in a racemes 10–65 mm (0.39–2.56 in) long with 5 to 21 heads, each head on a peduncle 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 in) long with 6 to 12 usually bright yellow flowers. Flowering occurs from July to October and the pods are linear, firmly papery, up to 90 mm (3.5 in) long and 4–6.5 mm (0.16–0.26 in) wide and dark brown to black. The seeds are oblong to elliptic or egg-shaped, 3.5–5 mm (0.14–0.20 in) long and black with a club-shaped aril.[2][3][4][5]

Taxonomy

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Acacia amoena first formally described by the botanist Heinrich Wendland in 1820 in his book, Commentatio de Acaciis aphyllis.[6][7] The specific epithet (amoena) means 'beautiful' or 'pleasing'.[8]

This species has been confused with Acacia rubida[9] and belongs to the Acacia microbotrya group. It is closely related to Acacia kydrensis and is similar to Acacia chalkeri and Acacia rubida.[2]

Distribution and habitat

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Boomerang wattle is found along the Great Dividing Range in western parts of New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria where it is often a part of dry sclerophyll forest or open woodland communities[4] on rocky slopes and creek banks[2] growing in rocky soils.[4] The bulk of the population has a discontinuous distribution from around Walcha in the north down to the upper reaches of the Snowy River north-eastern Victoria.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Acacia amoena". Australian Plant Census. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Acacia amoena". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  3. ^ Maslin, Bruce R. Kodela, Phillip G. (ed.). "Acacia amoena". Flora of Australia. Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water: Canberra. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Kodela, Phillip G.; Harden, Gwen J. "Acacia amoena". Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  5. ^ Entwisle, Timothy J.; Maslin, Bruce R.; Cowan, Richard S.; Court, Arthur B.; Ohlsen, Damiel. "Acacia amoena". Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  6. ^ "Acacia amoena". APNI. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  7. ^ Wendland, Heinrich (1820). Commentatio de Acaciis aphyllis. Hahn. pp. 16–17. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
  8. ^ Stearn, William T. (1992). Botanical Latin - History, Grammar, Syntax, History and Vocabulary. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 367. ISBN 0881923214.
  9. ^ "Acacia amoena H.L.Wendl. (misapplied to Acacia rubida)". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 1 March 2019.