Acacia pycnantha

Inflorescences and phyllodes of the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha ).

The Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha ) is a species in the subfamily of the mimosa family ( Mimosoideae ) within the legume family ( Fabaceae ). It is the national flower symbol of Australia and mapped in the coat of arms.

Occurrence

The Golden Wattle has its natural distribution areas of the south of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia to western Victoria and southern inland areas of New South Wales, Tasmania also. The Golden Wattle usually grows in dry sclerophyll vegetation and Gentiles on sandy and rocky soils. In areas with annual rainfall between 350 mm and 1000 mm.

It is an invasive plant in South Africa and California, among others.

Description

The Golden Wattle grows as evergreen, cantilevered, small tree or shrub and can reach heights of growth between three and eight meters. It has a mostly smooth, supple, dark brown to grayish bark. The task of photosynthesis take long, mud elliptical, inverted - lanceolate, more or less crescent-shaped dark green phyllodes, which may be between 8 and 20 inches long and 0.5 to 3.5 inches wide. The median nerve is sublime.

It produces in late winter and spring (July to November) axillary racemose or terminal Rispige total inflorescences, which have a length of about 2 to 15 centimeters, which together are 4 to 25 each fluffy, golden, globular part inflorescences. The spherical part inflorescences have a diameter of about 0.6 to 1 cm and each comprise from 40 to 80 flowers.

The sessile, fragrant flowers are radial symmetry, fünfzählig with double perianth. The five from 0.8 to 1 mm long sepals are fused. The five gold, 1.2 to 1.5 mm long petals are all among themselves freely. The many stamens are mutually free and not fused with the perianth. There are many free, upper permanent carpels available with a simple pen.

The straight or curved, more or less flat legume has more or less straight sides except between the seeds, on which it is raised slightly. Is paper- to leathery, has a length of 5 to 14 centimeters and a width of 5 to 8 millimeters.

The Golden Wattle is highly variable, especially in the form of Phylloidien and flower color.

Use

The Golden Wattle is planted to reduce soil erosion. From their bark tannins to let them win. The flower can be used for perfume - making, but also be eaten cooked.

System

The specific epithet is derived pycnantha pycnos from the Greek words for thick and compact and anthos for flower. The first description was published in 1842 by George Bentham in the London Journal of Botany, 1, 351. The type specimen was collected in 1836 in the interior of New South Wales by Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, who led two expeditions to the Darling River and the Murray River.

Synonyms for Acacia pycnantha Benth. are Acacia falcinella Meisn. nom. illeg. nom. illeg. , Acacia pycnantha petiolaris var H.Vilm. , Acacia westonii Maiden, Acacia westoni orth var Maiden, Acacia petiolaris clay., Racosperma pycnanthum ( Benth. ) Pedley.

Natural hybrids between A. and A. pycnantha williamsonii are known from the state of Victoria in Australia. Emerged in culture hybrids are between A. pycnantha, A. dealbata and A. podalyrifolia; were generated in Europe Acacia × deneufvillei L.Winter ex A.Berger (A. podalyriifolia × A. pycnantha ) as ' de Neufvillei ', Acacia × hanburyana L.Winter ex A.Berger (A. podalyriifolia × A. dealbata ), Acacia × siebertiana L.Winter ex A.Berger (A. podalyriifolia × A. pycnantha ).

Coat of Arms of Australia

The Golden Wattle is called in Australia Golden Wattle. It is the national flower symbol ( National Floral Emblem ) of the State and is depicted on its coat of arms. In addition, they can be seen on the badge of the Governor General.

Swell

  • P.G. Kodela: Acacia pycnantha in the New South Wales Flora Online: description.
  • Amanda Spoone: Acacia pycnantha in the Western Australian Flora: Online, 1997.
  • Acacia pycnantha in the Flora of Australia Online.
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