Acacia amoena, commonly known as boomerang wattle,[1][2] is a shrub belonging to the genus Acacia and the subgenus Phyllodineae that is native to parts of eastern Australia.

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

Description edit

The shrub has an erect to spreading habit and typically grows to a height of 0.5 to 3 m (1 ft 8 in to 9 ft 10 in) and has reddish brown branchlets. The linear phyllodes have an oblanceolate to elliptic shape and are straight or slightly curved with a length of 2 to 8.5 cm (0.79 to 3.35 in) and a width of 5 to 12 mm (0.20 to 0.47 in). It blooms between July and December and produces inflorescences with bright to pale yellow flowers.[3] The inflorescence occur as 6 to 21 racemes along an axis of 1 to 6.5 cm (0.39 to 2.56 in). The spherical flower heads contain six to twelve bright golden flower with dark brown bracteoles. After flowering dark brown to black linear seed pods form with a length of around 9 cm (3.5 in) and a width of 5 to 6 mm (0.20 to 0.24 in). The oblong to elliptic shaped seeds within have a length of 3.5 to 5 mm (0.14 to 0.20 in).[2]

Taxonomy edit

The species was first formally described by the botanist Heinrich Wendland in 1820 as part of the work Commentatio de Acaciis aphyllis. It is also often confused with Acacia rubida[4] The species belongs to the Acacia microbotrya group and is closely related to Acacia kydrensis and similar to Acacia chalkeri and Acacia rubida.[2]

Distribution edit

It 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[3] on rocky slopes and creek banks[2] growing in rocky soils.[3] 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 edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Acacia amoena Boomerang Wattle". Australian Plants Society NSW. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Acacia amoena". World Wide Wattle. Western Australian Herbarium. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "Acacia amoena H.L.Wendl". PlantNet. Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Acacia amoena H.L.Wendl. (misapplied to Acacia rubida)". Atlas of Living Australia. Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 1 March 2019.