HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large
genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
of shrubs and trees in the subfamily Mimosoideae of the pea family Fabaceae. Initially, it comprised a group of plant species native to Africa and Australasia. The genus name is
New Latin New Latin (also called Neo-Latin or Modern Latin) is the revival of Literary Latin used in original, scholarly, and scientific works since about 1500. Modern scholarly and technical nomenclature, such as in zoological and botanical taxonomy ...
, borrowed from the Greek (), a term used by Dioscorides for a preparation extracted from the leaves and fruit pods of '' Vachellia nilotica'', the original type of the genus. In his ''Pinax'' (1623), Gaspard Bauhin mentioned the Greek from Dioscorides as the origin of the Latin name. In the early 2000s it had become evident that the genus as it stood was not monophyletic and that several divergent lineages needed to be placed in separate genera. It turned out that one lineage comprising over 900 species mainly native to Australia, New Guinea, and Indonesia was not closely related to the much smaller group of African lineage that contained ''A. nilotica''—the
type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen( ...
. This meant that the Australasian lineage (by far the most prolific in number of species) would need to be renamed. Botanist Leslie Pedley named this group ''Racosperma'', which received little acclaim in the botanical community. Australian botanists proposed a less disruptive solution setting a different type species for ''Acacia'' ('' A. penninervis'') and allowing this largest number of species to remain in ''Acacia'', resulting in the two Pan-Tropical lineages being renamed '' Vachellia'' and '' Senegalia'', and the two endemic American lineages renamed '' Acaciella'' and '' Mariosousa''. Although many botanists still disagreed that this was necessary, this solution was eventually officially adopted at the Melbourne International Botanical Congress in 2011. Acacia remains a widely used common name across genera. A number of species have been introduced to various parts of the world, and two million hectares of commercial plantations have been established. The heterogeneous group varies considerably in habit, from mat-like subshrubs to canopy trees in a forest.


Description

Several species in the genus bear vertically oriented phyllodes, which are green, broadened leaf petioles that function like leaf blades, an adaptation to hot climates and droughts. Some phyllodinous species have a colourful aril on the seed. A few species have
cladodes :''In botany, "Cladodes" may refer to a synonym of the genus '' Alchornea'' or to the plural of " cladode".'' ''Cladodes'' is a genus of firefly beetles. It used to be included in the subfamily Amydetinae, which is probably a highly artifici ...
rather than leaves.


Taxonomy

The genus was first validly named in 1754 by Philip Miller. In 1913 Nathaniel Lord Britton and Addison Brown selected ''Mimosa scorpioides'' (≡ ''Acacia scorpioides'' () = '' Acacia nilotica'' () ), a species from Africa, as the lectotype of the name. The genus as recognized in 1986 contained 1352 species. That year however, Pedley published a paper in which he questioned the monophyletic nature of the genus, and proposed a split into three genera: ''Acacia'' sensu stricto (161 species), ''Senegalia'' (231 species) and ''Racosperma'' (960 species), the last name first proposed in 1829 by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius as the name of a section in ''Acacia'', but raised to generic rank in 1835. In 2003, Pedley published a paper with 834 new combinations in ''Racosperma'' for species, most of which were formerly placed in ''Acacia''. All but 10 of these species are native to
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecolo ...
, where it constitutes the largest plant genus. In 2003, Anthony Orchard and Bruce Maslin filed a proposal to conserve the name ''Acacia'' with a different
type Type may refer to: Science and technology Computing * Typing, producing text via a keyboard, typewriter, etc. * Data type, collection of values used for computations. * File type * TYPE (DOS command), a command to display contents of a file. * Ty ...
in order to retain the Australasian group of species in the genus ''Acacia''. Following a controversial decision to choose a new type for ''Acacia'' in 2005, the Australian component of ''Acacia s.l.'' now retains the name ''Acacia''. At the 2011 International Botanical Congress held in
Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, the decision to use the name ''Acacia'', rather than the proposed ''Racosperma'' for this genus, was upheld. Other '' Acacia s.l.'' taxa continue to be called ''Acacia'' by those who choose to consider the entire group as one genus. Australian species of the genus ''
Paraserianthes ''Paraserianthes'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the mimosoid clade of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae. Taxonomy ''Paraserianthes'' includes only one species: * ''Paraserianthes lophantha'' (Willd.) I.C.Nie ...
'' '' s.l.'' are deemed its closest relatives, particularly '' P. lophantha''. The nearest relatives of ''Acacia'' and ''Paraserianthes s.l.'' in turn include the Australian and South East Asian genera '' Archidendron'', '' Archidendropsis'', ''
Pararchidendron ''Pararchidendron'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae. It belongs to the mimosoid clade of the subfamily Caesalpinioideae Caesalpinioideae is a botanical name at the rank of subfamily, placed in the large family Fabaceae ...
'' and '' Wallaceodendron'', all of the tribe
Ingeae The Mimosoideae are a traditional subfamily of trees, herbs, lianas, and shrubs in the pea family (Fabaceae) that mostly grow in tropical and subtropical climates. They are typically characterized by having radially symmetric flowers, with petals ...
.


Etymology

The origin of "
wattle Wattle or wattles may refer to: Plants *''Acacia sensu lato'', polyphyletic genus of plants commonly known as wattle, especially in Australia and South Africa **''Acacia'', large genus of shrubs and trees, native to Australasia **Black wattle, c ...
" may be an Old Teutonic word meaning "to weave". From around 700 CE, ' was used in Old English to refer to the interwoven branches and sticks which formed fences, walls and roofs. Since about 1810 it refers to the Australian legumes that provide these branches.


Species

One species of ''Acacia'' ('' sensu stricto'') is native to
Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
, one to Reunion island, 12 to
Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
, and the remaining species (over 900) are native to
Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecolo ...
and the
Pacific Islands Collectively called the Pacific Islands, the islands in the Pacific Ocean are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of ...
. These species were all given combinations by Pedley when he erected the genus ''Racosperma'', hence ''
Acacia pulchella ''Acacia pulchella'', commonly known as prickly moses or western prickly moses, is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. Endemic to Western Australia, it is one of the most common shrubs of the bushland around Perth and in the Darling Range. Descrip ...
'', for example, became ''
Racosperma pulchellum ''Acacia pulchella'', commonly known as prickly moses or western prickly moses, is a shrub in the family Fabaceae. Endemic to Western Australia, it is one of the most common shrubs of the bushland around Perth and in the Darling Range. Descrip ...
''. However, these were not upheld with the retypification of ''Acacia''.


Phylogeny

Acacias in Australia probably evolved their fire resistance about 20 million years ago when fossilised charcoal deposits show a large increase, indicating that fire was a factor even then. With no major mountain ranges or rivers to prevent their spread, the wattles began to spread all over the continent as it dried and fires became more common. They began to form dry, open forests with species of the genera '' Allocasuarina'', ''
Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of Flowering plant, flowering trees, shrubs or Mallee (habit), mallees in the Myrtaceae, myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the Tribe (biology) ...
'' and '' Callitris'' (cypress-pines). The southernmost species in the genus are '' Acacia dealbata'' (silver wattle), '' Acacia longifolia'' (coast wattle or Sydney golden wattle), '' Acacia mearnsii'' (black wattle), and '' Acacia melanoxylon'' (blackwood), reaching 43°30' S in
Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...
, Australia.


Fossil record

An ''Acacia''-like long
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
seed pod has been described from the
Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
of the Paris Basin. ''Acacia''-like fossil pods under the name ''Leguminocarpon'' are known from late
Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but ...
deposits at different sites in
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...
. Seed pod fossils of †''Acacia parschlugiana'' and †''Acacia cyclosperma'' are known from
Tertiary Tertiary ( ) is a widely used but obsolete term for the geologic period from 66 million to 2.6 million years ago. The period began with the demise of the non- avian dinosaurs in the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, at the start ...
deposits in Switzerland. †''Acacia colchica'' has been described from the
Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and means "less recent" ...
of West
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...
.
Pliocene The Pliocene ( ; also Pleiocene) is the epoch in the geologic time scale that extends from 5.333 million to 2.58pollen of an ''Acacia'' sp. has been described from West
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to t ...
(including Abkhazia). Oldest records of fossil ''Acacia'' pollen in Australia are from the late
Oligocene epoch The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but th ...
, 25 million years ago.


Distribution and habitat

They are present in all terrestrial habitats, including alpine settings, rainforests, woodlands, grasslands, coastal dunes and deserts. In drier woodlands or forests they are an important component of the understory. Elsewhere they may be dominant, as in the Brigalow Belt, Myall woodlands and the eremaean Mulga woodlands. In Australia, ''Acacia'' forest is the second most common forest type after eucalypt forest, covering or 8% of total forest area. ''Acacia'' is also the nation's largest genus of flowering plants with almost 1,000 species found.


Ecology

Acacia is a common food source and host plant for butterflies of the genus ''
Jalmenus Jalmenus is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.The genus is Endemism, endemic to Geography of Australia, Australia. Species *''Jalmenus aridus'' Graham & Moulds, 1988 - inland hairstreak *''Jalmenus clementi'' Druce, 1902 - turquois ...
.'' The imperial hairstreak, ''
Jalmenus evagoras ''Jalmenus evagoras,'' the imperial hairstreak, imperial blue, or common imperial blue, is a small, metallic blue butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is commonly found in eastern coastal regions of Australia. This species is notable for its ...
,'' feeds on at least 25 acacia species. Many reptiles feed on the sap as well, such as the native house gecko in Australia.


Toxicity

Some species of acacia contain psychoactive alkaloids, and some contain potassium fluoroacetate, a rodent poison.


Uses

The seed pods, flowers, and young leaves are generally edible either raw or cooked.
Aboriginal Australians Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the T ...
have traditionally harvested the seeds of some species, to be ground into flour and eaten as a paste or baked into a cake. The seeds contain as much as 25% more protein than common cereals, and they store well for long periods due to the hard seed coats. In addition to utilizing the edible seed and gum, the people employed the timber for implements, weapons, fuel and musical instruments. A number of species, most notably '' A. mangium'' (hickory wattle), '' A. mearnsii'' (black wattle) and '' A. saligna'' (coojong), are economically important and are widely planted globally for wood products, tannin, firewood and fodder. ''A. melanoxylon'' (blackwood) and ''A. aneura'' (mulga) supply some of the most attractive timbers in the genus. Black wattle bark supported the
tanning Tanning may refer to: * Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather * Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin ** Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun ** Sunless tanning, application of a stain or d ...
industries of several countries, and may supply tannins for production of waterproof adhesives. Wattle bark collected in Australia in the 19th century was exported to Europe where it was used in the tanning process. One ton of wattle or mimosa bark contained about of pure tannin. In ancient Egypt, an ointment made from the ground leaves of an Acacia (sensu lato) was used to treat hemorrhoids. The hardened sap of various species of the acacia tree (sensu lato) are known as acacia gum. Acacia gum is used as an emulsifier in food, a binder for watercolour painting, an additive to ceramic glazes, a binding in gum bichromate photography, a protective layer in the lithographic processes and as a binder to bind together fireworks. "Acacia honey" is not collected from plants in the acacia family, but rather from '' Robinia pseudoacacia'', known as black locust in North America. Honey collected from '' Caragana arborescens'' is sometimes also called (yellow) acacia honey. (See also Monofloral honey.)


Cultivation

Some species of acacia – notably ''A. baileyana'', '' A. dealbata'' and '' A. pravissima'' – are cultivated as ornamental garden plants. The 1889 publication ''Useful Native Plants of Australia'' describes various uses for eating.


In culture

Acacia is mentioned in an ancient Egyptian proverb referred to by Amenhotep II: "If you lack a gold battle-axe inlaid with bronze, a heavy club of acacia wood will do."Erik Hornung 'The Pharaoh' in Sergio Donadoni, The Egyptians, The University of Chicago Press, 1997. p. 291 Acacia (sensu lato) is repeatedly mentioned in the Book of Exodus, perhaps referring to '' Vachellia tortilis'' (previously known as ''Acacia raddiana''), in regards to the construction of the Tabernacle. In
Exodus Exodus or the Exodus may refer to: Religion * Book of Exodus, second book of the Hebrew Torah and the Christian Bible * The Exodus, the biblical story of the migration of the ancient Israelites from Egypt into Canaan Historical events * Exo ...
25:10, acacia wood is mentioned as the construction material for the Ark of the Covenant.


References

* Pedley, L. (2002). "A conspectus of ''Acacia'' subgen. ''Acacia'' in Australia". ''Austrobaileya'' 6(2): 177–186. * Pedley, L. (2003). A synopsis of ''Racosperma'' C.Mart". ''Austrobaileya'' 6(3): 445–496.


External links


WATTLE Acacias of Australia Lucid Web Player (multi-access key for identifying Australian Acacias)
{{Authority control Fabaceae genera Mimosoids