''Acacia anaticeps'', also known as duck-headed wattle, is a shrub or tree of the genus ''

Acacia ''Acacia'', commonly known as the wattles or acacias, is a large genus 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 na ...

'' and the subgenus ''Plurinerves''. It is native to arid areas of north western

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Description

The glabrous shrub or tree typically grows to a height of but can be as high as and has corky, deeply furrowed gery coloured bark. Like most species of ''Acacia'' it has

phyllode Phyllodes are modified petioles or leaf stems, which are leaf-like in appearance and function. In some plants, these become flattened and widened, while the leaf itself becomes reduced or vanishes altogether. Thus the phyllode comes to serve the ...

s rather than true leaves. The green to grey-green to blue-green leathery textured phyllodes have an inequilaterally obovate-elliptic to duck's head shape and are broadest above the middle with a conspicuously rounded upper margin and a straight lower margin. The phyllodes are usually in length and wide with three to eight main longitudinal nerves with anastomosing minor nerves. It blooms from April to June and produces yellow flowers.

Distribution

It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to arid areas in the

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...

and

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a glo ...

regions of

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

where it is often situated on

sand dunes A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, fl ...

and

pindan Pindan is a name given to the red-soil country of the south-western Kimberley region of Western Australia. The term comes from a local language and applies both to the soil and to the vegetation community associated with it.Lowe (2003). History ...

country growing in red sandy or sandy-loamy soils. The range of the plant extends from the northern boundary of the Pilbara region northwards to around Broome in the north west to around

Kumpupintil Lake Kumpupintil Lake (pronounced ''goom-bu-pin-dil''), formerly known as Lake Disappointment, is an endorheic salt lake located in the Little Sandy Desert, east of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Description Kumpupintil Lake is about lon ...

and Lake Gregory in the east and is sometimes found on heavier, sometimes saline, soils.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15289354 anaticeps Acacias of Western Australia Plants described in 1972 Taxa named by Mary Tindale

Description

Distribution

See also

References